Truth Lies in the Shadows
by MoonShard Kuronue
Summary: During HalfBlood Prince...Hogwarts is full of wizards and witches. What happens when you throw three teenage demons into the mix? And to shake it up even more, one of those demons is Harry Potter's cousin.
1. Chapter 1

Konnichiwa, minna-san! Kuronue here with my first Harry Potter fanfic. So far I've had a lot of fun writing this and I hope you pplz enjoy reading it.

Kaze: Kuronue, I helped too you know.

Kuro: Yes, yes you did. I apologize.

Kaze: That's better. But we did have fun with this, didn't we?

Kuro: Much fun. Now, do we have anything else to say before we start?

Kaze: Other than the fact that we own nothing but ourselves and pets.

Kuro: Correct. We own nothing belonging to J.K Rowling. But we do own all of the OCs.

Kaze: Yep. Now let's get on with the show.

Kuro: Review!

Kaze: Be nice. But please leave a review, we'd very much like it.

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 1

The moon's beams beat down upon the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There was an eerie calmness over the castle. Recent events had disturbed everyone including the staff at Hogwarts. But it seemed that the wizarding world and the world of muggles were not the only ones threatened by the Dark Lord's return to power.

Albus Dumbledore sat in the chair behind his desk, happy to know that Harry was safely at the Burrow. He had just returned to the castle only half an hour before. After a brief conversation with Professor McGonagall, he passed up a meal and went to his office. His rest was cut short for there was a knock at the door. He called out for them to enter. The door swung open to reveal the giant form of Hagrid, the school's gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Following close behind him was an irate McGonagall and a cloaked stranger.

"I'm really sorry, sir, but it's kinda an emergency." said Hagrid.

The Headmaster raised his uninjured hand as he stood. "It's quite alright, Hagrid. I am not very tired anyway." he said with a smile. "What seems to be the emergency?"

"Well, my friend here needs to talk to yeh." The half-giant gestured to the figure behind him. "Um, I'll just wait outside." he said. Hagrid turned back to the door and left the room.

"I told them that this could wait, Albus, but he argued that he must speak with you." said McGonagall.

"It is no trouble. Now, how can I help you?" Dumbledore sat down in his chair. With a gentle wave of his wand, he conjured up another chair in which the woman sat. He then offered the chair across from him to the stranger. The cloaked man nodded and took a seat.

Thinking it rude to keep his identity a secret from the one he sought help from, the man raised a hand to pull back his hood. McGonagall gasped in shock, but that was immediately replaced by a look of anger. How could Hagrid have permitted this man entrance into Hogwarts she thought. Dumbledore, on the other hand, made no movement to indicate that he even noticed anything strange about the one sitting before him. But he did notice. It was a bit hard not to.

Dumbledore studied the man with great interest. The man was good looking by anyone's standards. His dark eyes stared back into Dumbledore's blue ones. His black hair was tinted blue and fell to his broad shoulders. Slightly pointed ears were hidden by the curtain of hair, but they were known to be different than others. The aura around him was not that of a wizard, or even a mortal.

"I come seeking your help, Headmaster. Hagrid informed me that Albus Dumbledore could possibly be of assistance." the man stated.

After a moment of consideration, Dumbledore asked, "May I ask you who you are?" He was very interested to learn more about this man. Never before had a demon come to him asking for help.

"My name is Darikk. And as you can see, I am not human. I am a shadow demon from the other side of the Dark Forest." he replied in a calm voice.

"I see." said Dumbledore glancing at the mark on Darikk's forehead. He assumed that it was the symbol of the shadows.

"What kind of help are you looking for?" said McGonagall. The men spared her a glance.

Darikk shifted in the chair before speaking. "Something has happened that requires my presence as soon as possible. However, I must go alone. This poses a problem because I have a child to take care of." He paused, debating on whether to continue or not. "Due to special circumstances I cannot leave her with any member of our clan or of the neighboring clans."

He stared at Dumbledore to see if the wizard was following. He was and gave Darikk a sign to contine.

"I was hoping that she could stay here at Hogwarts until I return." he finished.

The wizard behind the desk had listened intently to the story and had watched the demon's reactions to his own words. Why would he want his daughter in a place full of mortals, full of people who view demons as Voldemort's allies?

"She could do whatever you want her to. She could help the house elves, the teachers, or whoever else needs her." said Darikk, trying to weigh Dumbledore's decision to the positive side of the balance.

"Tell me, Mr.Darikk,"

"Just Darikk."

"Darikk, why do you want your daughter to stay here? I'm sure there is someone in your clan that wouldn't mind looking after her." said Dumbledore in his usual calm voice. "Enlighten us as to why you've choosen to come here."

The demon did not aswer right away. It seemed that he was becoming lost within his own mind. But his blank look disappeared as fast as it had come. "There is no one willing to take my daughter under their roof. Even those who appear to be fine around her refuse to have more contact than necessary." said Darikk.

McGonagall still looked lost, but it all was becoming quite clear to Dumbledore. He leaned forward a bit, putting more weight on his arms.

"They reject her for what she is. She is a half-demon, is she not?" asked the wizard. Darikk nodded with obvious pain in his black eyes.

"A half-demon? So the child has a human mother." stated McGonagall. She did not know a ton of information on demons, but she knew a reasonable amount. Half-demons were not easily accepted by demons or humans. The races do not interact with each other and it is rare that half-demons are born. "Is the mother incapable of caring for her own child?"

"My wife is dead. She died giving birth to our daughter nearly sixteen years ago." said Darikk.

"Oh, I am so sorry." the witch apologized.

"It's fine. So, can you help me or not, Headmaster?" the demon asked trying to change the subject.

"I will tell you once you have given me the rest of your reasons. There is something that you are not telling us, Darikk. Excuse me if I am overstepping the boundaries, but your true intentions run much deeper than just finding a suitable place for the girl to stay." Dumbledore saw the man tense at his words. After a minute of silence, he spoke again. "You do not have to say it if you do not wish to. However, I would feel better to know more about this girl before allowing her in my school."

Darikk redirected his gaze to the portraits on the walls. There was one painting that had a man obviously pretending to be asleep, but listening in to the conversation. Fawkes was on his perch watching the demon through alert eyes.

"You are very good at reading people, Headmaster." he finally said. "Yes, there is another reason why I chose Hogwarts. After my wife died, I had high hopes that my baby could one day become acquainted with her mother's family. Even though her parents disowned her when she wed a demon, her brother never looked away. They were very close. Him and his wife had also had a baby, a son, a month prior to my wife's death."

Dumbledore had a hunch as to where this was going. He had a suspicion about it when Darikk said his wife had been disowned, but her brother still spoke with her. He knew a young woman that this had happened to. She had attended Hogwarts with her brother. She would get into trouble when she was caught sneeking out into the Dark Forest to see her demon lover. It was a sad day when the news of her death reached the staff. It was an even worse experience for her brother and sister-in-law.

"And I know that the young man, my nephew, attends Hogwarts. I just want my daughter to be able to meet her cousin." Darikk fell silent when he had finished.

"I believe we can work something out. What is her name?" said Dumbledore. Darikk sighed in relief.

"Reina. But I must ask you to take on someone else as well. Reina would never agree to come without her best friend."

"We can squeeze them in." the wizard said with a smile. "Have them here tomorrow morning."

"Thank you. I won't forget your generosity." Darikk stood to leave. Dumbledore stood, too, out of manners. The demon left the office, replacing his hood before going down the spiral staircase.

Once he was gone, Professor McGonagall turned to Dumbledore. "Albus, do you think it wise to have a demon in the castle with everything that's happened?" she said.

"Do you know the people of which Darikk spoke of, Minerva?" The witch thought for a moment and then it hit her. She gasped in astonishment. "Yes. We have just met with Marina Potter's husband."

"But that would mean that..." Her voice trailed away as the thought ran over again in her mind.

"This will be good for both Marina's daughter and nephew. Harry will come to know that he still has family living besides the Dursleys."


	2. Chapter 2

Here's the next chapter. I'm feeling generous so I'll give you another one to chew on.

Kaze: Chew on? Now I know you've gone batty. But yes, another chapter.

Kuro: First off, I'm a vampire/bat thing so what did you expect. Second, I'm hungry.

Kaze: No feeding. We don't want to scare away our readers, do you?

Kuro: I won't feed on them, unless they give us a bad review of course.

Kaze: Bad Batty! You'll do no such thing. Scold them yes, but no feeding on them.

Kuro: Meanie.

Kaze: Not the point. Now we hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Kuro: Yeah, and review!

Kaze: Remember we own nothing but ourselves and maybe a few others.

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 2

"But, Father," the teenager said. Her father had just told her of the trip he must take and that she was not going. "I am not a child. I'm capable of taking care of myself, so why can't I come with you?" Usually he allowed her to got with him on his travels. Never before had he not permitted her to accompany him. How is this time any different?

"It is too dangerous." Darikk replied. He was trying his best to refrain from yelling, but it was getting increasingly harder. "You'll be much safer if you stay behind."

Not being allowed to travel alongside her father wasn't bothering her as much as something else Darikk told her. Instead of having Reina stay in the town with the rest of the demons, he was sending her to some magic school full of humans.

"Then why not let me stay here with our kin?" the girl said in retaliation. "Is it because I'm a half-demon? You think that because I'm not as powerful as a full demon my age that I can't defend myself?" The words slipped out before Reina had realized it. She knew she had crossed the line when Darikk's dark eyes became bottomless. She immediately tensed and took a step back.

Darikk was a person who didn't get angry easily, but if anyone questioned his feelings about humans, his temper shot up. His daughter was no exception. Reina had learned this lesson before and it's one that she will not forget. But she was one to vent her anger out verbally or physically without thinking. And incidents like these came up every once in a while.

"Do you recall what happened to your mother!" yelled Darikk. The girl flinched at the mention of the mother she never knew. "I do not want you taken away from me the same way! Everytime you step out of my sight I worry. I fear that your blood will spill over the cold stone like Marina's did." Darikk forced himself to calm down. The last thing he needed was his daughter's anger directed towards him.

He looked down at his daughter. Her lavender eyes were focused on him, full of sadness and anger and a sense of loss. The black mark was not visible on the girl's forehead, but it surfaced whenever she used her powers in difficult techniques. Darikk took a step forward. He reached his hand out to place a stray strand of dark blue hair behind her pointed ear. "You look like her." he said in a soft voice, finally breaking the ackward silence.

Reina managed a small smile and returned the hug her father gave her. She was blessed with a loving parent that cared and protected her, despite what she was. That alone cancelled out the curse of being a half-demon.

"Go ahead and hang out with your friends. We'll talk more about this later." said Darikk once he pulled away. "I'm sure you're anxious to see if Emi would like to join you at Hogwarts." Reina nodded. She grabbed her cloak, threw it on, and left the house.

It didn't take Reina long to arrive at the small clearing of the Forbidden Forest where she and her friend hung out. She spotted Emi, who much preferred to be called Kaze, right away for her blonde hair was hard to miss amongst the lightless trees.

"Kaze!" she called out. The wind demon turned her green-grey eyes onto the teen. She smiled and jumped down from the tree limb she'd been sitting on. Reina walked closer to her, the cloak swaying as she moved.

"Hey! What's up?" Kaze jerked her head so that her hair moved out of her face, falling a couple of inches below her shoulders.

Reina pulled off the hood of the cloak. She tried to look like nothing was bothering her, but the false smile she wore was deceiving her. Even if she was able to hide her distress better, it wouldn't have helped. Kaze had been the half-demon's best friend forever. The wind demon could tell when her friend was upset, even without the use of her telepathic abilities.

"Okay, spill. What's wrong?" said Kaze sternly. Reina laughed as she leaned against the closest tree.

"I've got a bit of a problem." she started. Kaze sat down against the tree next to Reina's. "My father has to leave for a while. He says it is too dangerous so I have to stay behind."

When the girl was silent for more than a few seconds, Kaze spoke up. "And? Unless there's more to it, that isn't a problem. You can stay with me while he's gone." said the wind demon. She wasn't looking at Reina so she didn't see the half-demon take a step towards the middle of the clearing. She was more interested in playing with the mini tornado she had just made by moving her finger in a circle above the ground.

"There is more to it, Kaze." Reina surveyed their surroundings. She had sensed something coming, but wasn't sure what or whom it was.

"And what would that be?" asked Kaze when the teen paused again.

"I can't stay in the village. Father is sending me to Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Why the hell would he send you there?" Kaze had deserted her toy at the notion of the magic school. The little tornado abruptly disappeared.

Reina had been wondering that herself. At first she thought Darikk was just being overprotective. But the more she thought about it, the deeper her reasoning got. "I think it's because of my mother. She was a witch, remember? And she attended Hogwarts. That's how she met my father." she said.

The wind demonthought about it for a moment. "Oh, yeah. So, does that mean you will be enrolling? I mean, you are a half-demon, but you are also half human which means you're a witch."

"True." She never thought of that. Her assumptions were that she'd be working for the teachers or something. 'Am I going to Hogwarts to learn magic?' Their conversation was interrupted by loud grumbling. "Damn it. I knew I sensed something"  
Reina mumbled.

Both girls recognized the voices that were growing louder as they got closer. "Come on." Kaze instucted. The two quickly climbed up the trees they had been leaning against. Making sure they were well hidden, Reina and Kaze looked down to see a group of teenage guys come into the clearing.

"Where is she?" one of them asked angrily. "I know I saw that damn halfbreed come in here."

"Calm down, Kirk. Anger will cloud your judgment." The first boy, being rather dumb, didn't comprehend what was said to him.

"He means don't be yelling for her to come out or we'll never be able to catch her and have fun pounding on her. She's been able to evade us lately because of your impatience." another guy said acting as the leader of the group of thugs.

Kaze smirked when she saw Reina roll her eyes. "Let me guess, that's not the reason they can't catch you." she whispered. Reina's lips curled into an evil grin and an all too familiar glint appeared in her lavender eyes. They looked back down to the guys still lost as to where the halfbreed got to.

"Maybe she's not here." the second one suggested. The others began to agree, but their leader wasn't going to give up that easily. He walked around, studying every inch of the clearing.

"I know she's here."

Reina was getting bored of this. Knowing she could defeat these morons, thanks to her witch blood amplifying her demonic powers, she climbed down to a lower branch. Kaze could tell what she was planning to do and didn't stop her.

* * *

"Hagrid, what do you know about this Darikk?" Dumbledore asked, taking a sip from the huge mug Hagrid had offered him. They were sitting at the table in the gamekeeper's cottage. Dumbledore wanted to find out as much as he could about the child he had agreed to take in. And at the moment, Hagrid was the only reference the Headmaster had.

"Ah, Darikk. He's a good man. I 'ave known him fer quite some time. Met him back in the Dark Forest abou' eighteen years ago." replied Hagrid, gesturing in the direction of the forest.

Dumbledore wasn't surprised. The demons wander through the forest all the time, but it was strange that one had wandered as far as Hogwarts. "Have you met his daughter, Reina?"

Hagrid took a gulp of his drink. He wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket. "Aye," he answered. "Good kid. I babysat her when she was a tike a few times." The half-giant added the last thinking it was no big deal, but he regretted saying it at the look Dumbledore gave him. "Oh, uh... I was jus' doing Darikk a favor, sir." he stammered trying to apologize for not telling the Headmaster this years ago.

"No worries, Hagrid." Dumbledore said with a smile. "You've done nothing wrong." Hagrid relaxed at the wizard's words. "I am only seeking information on the child that will be staying with us."

"So, she will be staying?" Hagrid questioned. The man across from him nodded. "Tha's good. When Darikk left last nigh, all he said was thank you. Then he left."

"I see." was all Dumbledore said. He was silent for a moment, debating on whether to ask something or not. There was a good chance Hagrid knew who this demon was exactly. He could very well have been the reason Marina was continuously able to sneak into the Dark Forest unseen. "Hagrid," he began in a low voice. Hagrid noticed the seriousness in Dumbledore's face. "Do you know who this demon is? Who his daughter is?"

The gamekeeper became deep in thought. After a few seconds, he realized Dumbledore meant. "Aye, sir, I do." he said, confirming the Headmaster's suspicions. "And Reina knows, too." They sat there, neither of them saying a word.

Dumbledore broke the silence when he finished his tea. "Thank you very much, Hagrid. I will let myself out. Goodbye." He stood up and left the cottage. On his way back to the castle, he glancedto the forest. 'I wonder what Harry will think of his lost relatives.' he thought as a small smile graced his lips and continued up the hill.

* * *

Later that night, Reina walked into the house, closing the door behind her. She removed her and hung it up near the fireplace. "Father!" she called. She heard shuffling coming from the kitchen followed by "In here!". The half-demon walked into the room to see dinner on the table and her father eating.

"Hurry up or yourfood will get cold." Darikk told her. She quickly sat down. "So, how was your day?"

"Fine." Reina said, digging into the food on her plate. "Kaze agreed to come with me to Hogwarts."

Darikk watched hi daughter push up her sleeves past the tattoos on her wrists. He remembered when he first saw them. At first he was furious with Reina for carving ink into her skin, but he later accepted her need to be even more different than she already was.

"You told her to meet you here tomorrow morning?" he asked. Not wanting to be rude by talking with her mouthfull, Reina nodded. "Good."


	3. Chapter 3

Kuro: Yay! Two reviews in just one day. I feel special.

Kaze: Yeah, you're special alright.

Kuro: Oi! You're lucky I've already had some sugar within the past hour. It means I'm in a good mood.

Kaze: Right, we'll see how long _that_ last.

Kuro: (sticks tongue out at Kaze)

Kaze: Be careful with that, or I'll get you know who to claw it off.

Kuro: (sucks tongue back in) You're no fun.

Kaze: Calm down, you'll have your fun later on. Remember what we're going to do once we get to Hogwarts?

Kuro: Oh yeah. Hehehe.

Kaze: Hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please remember to review. It'll make us happy and more updates.

Kuro: Yep! And we own nothng but ourselves and other OCs.

Review Responses:

Porsha-r.smith- The whole 'not human' thing is an inside joke with my friends. We call ourselves animals, demons, elves, etc. For example, because my main nickname is Kuronue I'm a bat since Kuronue is a bat demon.

Varley 990- Yes, most of the OCs are based off of my friends. Plus they gave me profiles for their characters so that helps. Reina is my character, Kaze is my friend Kaze's character (ironic, huh?), and a couple more will come in later.

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 3

It was early in the morning when Reina was shaken awake by her father. She may have been a half-demon, but she was still a teenager. And almost every teenager hated getting up early. It was even worse in Reina's case since she was a shadow demon. In the end, Darikk had to threaten to take away a couple hours from her curfew to get her out of bed.

The half-awake teen trudged downstairs and into the kitchen where she dropped into a chair. Some eggs and a piece of toast were waiting to be eaten on the plate in front of her. She gave the breakfast a disgusted look before pushing it away. Darikk knew good and well that Reina never ate anything for breakfast, but every once in a while he would attempt to get her to eat.

"Not hungry?" Darikk asked despite his knowledge of the answer. He took a seat at the table across from the girl.

"Am I ever?" Reina replied. She got up and went over to the stove. The kettle's lid shook from the steam forcing itself out. She removed the cooking pot from the burner as she turned the stovetop off. After pouring her regular morning tea, she leaned against the nearest wall, enjoying the soothing aroma of the hot liquid.

Growing uneasy with the silence, Darikk said, "You'll like Hogwarts. Your mother loved it. She always said it was her home away from home. And according to Hagrid, Albus Dumbledore is the greatest Headmaster that Hogwarts has ever seen."

Reina made no movement to indicate that she had heard him. She just continued to stare off into space over the rim of her mug. At last she rinsed her cup out and placed it in the sink.

"At least Kaze will be there, not to mention Hagrid." She took her place against the wall once again, then looked over at her father. "Was Mom a powerful witch?"

The question caught Darikk by surprise, but he was grateful that she asked. Reina was full of questions and curiosities about her mother when she was a child. However, with each passing year there were less and less questions. Not too long ago Darikk had asked about her sudden lack of interest. All Reina had to say was, "Why bother? Inquiring about the dead won't make them come back." Darikk never pressed the issue after such an answer.

"Well, if her old teachers' unyielding compliments and praises had anything to do with it then I'd say yes." This seemed to answer Reina's question for she revealed a small smile. She was about to say something, but decided against it. Seeing that she was going to say no more, Darikk wulfed down the discarded toast and stood up.

"So, are you ready to leave?"

The half-demon nodded. She pushed away from the wall and followed the man out of the kitchen. Her cloak was thrown around her, the hood up covering her face. The two shadow demons departed the house empty handed. Darikk was to return later to retrieve his things while a neighbor was to bring Reina and Kaze's belongings to Hogwarts that afternoon.

Soon the pair was joined by the wind demon who's grand entrance was that of dropping from a tree. Lucky for Darikk, his companions were not the typical gossiping teenage girls. Instead of listening to conversations about makeup and who's-dating-who, he enjoyed the discussions of the latest fights and the trash talking of the boys their age. He was required to interject a couple of times when the girls got carried away with the name calling, and when Kaze let it slip that Reina was a participant and winner of half the fights.

An hour into the walk, the Dark Forest around them grew darker and more conjested with trees. Darikk's eyes darted over their surroundings looking for any sign of danger. Demons may have been considered one of the dark creatures in the wizarding world, but it didn't mean demons were friendly with all of their fellow "dark creatures".

"Stay close, girls." said Darikk. "Be aware of what lurks in this part of the forest." Heeding his words, Reina and Kaze ceased their talking. The three demons quickened their pace so the castle drew closer faster. Before they reached the end of the forest, Reina came up to her father's side.

"Father, why is it that we walked instead of using the shadows? It would have been less time consuming and possibly safer." she said to him. It had struck her as odd at the start of their travel that their mode of transportation was walking, not falling through shadows like Darikk and Reina normally did. Darikk answered without looking at her, his eyes still searching for danger.

"In these times it would be safer to appear less suspicious. Popping out of nowhere in the middle of the castle grounds screams suspicion."

Reina smirked. "That would give us away, now wouldn't it?" She was satisfied with the explanation and fell back in line with Kaze. A few short minutes later, an enormous stone castle emerged on top of the hill. The sun beat down on the magnificent architexture. Reina and Kaze were in awe. The half-demon had seen the school before, but it had been many years ago. All she had remembered was that it was huge. Darikk beckoned the girls along until they were completely outof the Dark Forest. Then he led them around to the front of the small hut standing on the outskirts of the forest.

Darikk walked up to the door and knocked gently on the wooden door. There was a loud crash followed by barking and shuffling. "Stop tha', Fang!" The dog's narking ceased as the door opened. At the sight of his visitors, Hagrid's face, the little part of it that could be seen, lit up. "Darikk! You're 'ere early."

"My business is urgent." the demon replied with a smile. Darikk stepped back to allow Hagrid to exit the hut.

"Blimey! Is that you, Reina?" Hagrid exclaimed when he caught sight of the dark blue haired girl. Reina couldn't help but smile at the giant. She ran up to him and hugged him.

"It is good to see you again after all these years, Hagrid." she said. Hagrid squeezed the teenager tightly.

"You've grown so much." he said when Reina pulled back. Hagrid lifted the girl's chin with his oversized hand. "And ya look exactly like your mum."

The half-demon continued to smile. Darikk told her that all too often, but for some reason unknown to her she liked hearing it. "Hagrid, this is my friend Kaze." She introduced them. Kaze shot the giant a grin and bowed slightly.

"Kaze, eh? Welcome to Hogwarts." Hagrid swept his arm in the air towards the castle. The wind demon thanked him.

"Hagrid, my dear friend." Darikk addressed him. "Could you please take the girls up to Headmaster Dumbledore's office? I'm afraid I cannot stay any longer."

Hagrid looked confused, but nodded anyway. "Sure thing. Where are your things?" After Darikk explained to him that the girls' luggage would be arriving later that day, the shadow demon pulled his daughter aside. He didn't say anything at first, only stared over the castle. Reina waited patiently for him to speak, listening to Kaze informing Hagrid of her origin.

"I will write whenever I get the chance." Darikk said at last. The half-demon nodded although she didn't know whether or not Darikk was looking. "And while you are here you must keep your heritage to yourself until Dumbledore says otherwise, understood?" This time the elder demon did look down at Reina.

"I understand." she said firmly under her father's gaze.

"I know you will not disappoint me." Darikk kissed his daughter's head and smiled. "Good luck." He strided over to Hagrid, spoke a few words, and then stepped towards the Dark Forest. Before entering the woods, he turned to look back at Reina one last time. Silently telling her his love belongs to her, he departed from the grounds.

"Goodbye, Father."

Reina continued to gaze at the spot where Darikk had been until Kaze came up behind her. "He'll be back before you know it." the wind demon said trying to comfort her friend. With a heavy sigh, Reina thanked her. Both girls joined Hagrid as he trudged up the hill towards the castle that served as a school.

As they grew closer to the building, the demons grew slightly nervous. Kaze was used to being around humans. She was always dragged secretly to mortal cities by her half-demon friend accomplice. But this would be her first encounter with members of a magical world. However, Reina had been around both types of mortal, and yet her breathing became short and quick. The half-demon belonged to the world of neither human nor demon. She was accepted by no one, so what would make witches and wizards understand her situation.

When they had reached the main gate, the heavy doors slowly opened to allow them entrance. Hagrid smiled at the stunned expressions on the teenagers' faces.

"This place is huge! You could fit a full-sized tornado in here!" the wind demon exclaimed in astonishment.

"No kidding. There's no telling what parts of the Shadow Realm you could end up in from here." the shadow demon stated as she observed every corner of the Entrance Hall.

Hagrid chuckled at their reactions, although he was a bit confused by what the girls were talking about. He ushered them out of the hall and towards the phoenix statue. Once there, Hagrid said the password. The girls watched patiently as the staricase spiraled up the height of the tower. They went up, knocked on the door, and entered the Headmaster's office.


	4. Chapter 4

Kuro: Welcome to another exciting chapter of...(pause for dramatic effect)...Truth Lies in the Shadows

Kaze: Yes, welcome back. This one is going to be a lot more fun than the last chapter.

Kuro: Indeed it will be. Here we start getting moreinto the story. Aren't you, the readers, happy?

Kaze: I hope so, cuz we had fun with this chapter.

Kuro: Uh-huh. Maybe we should shut up and let them read it so they know what we're talking about. What do you think, Kaze?

Kaze: Yeah, enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review.

Kuro: And we own nothing but ourselves and a few others.

Kaze: That's right. Now onwards.

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 4

Dumbledore and McGonagall were discussing some issues about the upcoming school year when there was a knock at the door. "Come in." the old wizard called. The door opened and Hagrid walked into the office.

"Ah, Hagrid. What brings you here so early?" Dumbledore asked as he stood up from behind his desk.

"I've brought ye a couple o' new students." the giant laughed heartily. He stepped aside to his left to allow his two charges into the room. Reina and Kaze hesitantly stepped forward.

Professor McGonagall cocked an eyebrow at the sight of them. The shorter girl stood at around five foot. Her blonde hair was in a ponytail, her pointed ears in plain sight. Green-grey eyes stared back at the witch. She was wearing black leather pants, a V-neck black tanktop, black boots, and black fingerless gloves that went up to her elbows. A tattoo of what appeared to be a tornado was visible on her chest.

The Transfiguration teacher mentally sighed. _'Oh, dear. What have we got ourselves into?'_ she thought with a tinge of regret. Putting her current fears aside for the moment, McGonagall switched her gaze to the taller girl.

This one was a good half foot taller than her friend. McGonagall presumed that this was the half-demon, Reina. She had waist-length, dark blue hair pulled back into a braid. She, too, sported elvish ears. Her eyes were a light lavender. Reina was dressed in a similar attire as her companion; black shirt with netted sleeves, black pants with purple lines down the sides,  
and black boots. However, she had tattoos of what looked like some kind of bird wrapped around her wrists.

The witch's intensive study of the girls was interrupted by Dumbledore's soft voice. "Hello. Please come in and take a seat." he said. With a flick of his wand, two chairs appeared out of thin air in front of the desk. Kaze flinched, but stood her ground. Reina, on the other hand, found the act of magic comforting in some way. She nodded in gratitude and sat down, Kaze following her act.

"Well, Reina," The half-demon looked over at Hagrid. "I'll be seeing you again a bit later, okay?" She nodded with a smile.

"Thank you."

With that Hagrid left the girls alone with the magic users. Dumbledore sat down at his desk while McGonagall took a seat off to the side. "First of all, let us welcome you to Hogwarts. I am the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. And this," He gestured towards the witch. "...is Professor McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House."

"My name is Reina Krone."

"And I'm Emi Soran, a.k.a. Kaze."

Reina smiled at the wind demon's addition to her name. She never did like being called by her real name. Dumbledore seemed amused, but McGonagall found it uninteresting. Seeing the witch's expression of distaste, Dumbledore decided to get on with the business at hand.

"Ms.Krone, Ms.Soran. Let's talk about what you will be doing here during your stay." the wizard began. "Darikk asked me to take you in, Reina, while he was away. We are happy to have you and Ms.Soran in our school. While the two of you are here you will be posing as students."

"So we are going to be students?" Reina interrupted. Dumbledore nodded. "But how will we perform magic? We're demons, not witches." Both girls focused questioning looks on the Headmaster who only smiled.

"Demons are magical beings. Many people claim otherwise, but from my own experiences with demons I can confidently say they are magical. This would mean that your race can use magic to an extent." he explained. Then he addressed Reina directly. "Your case is slightly different, Ms.Krone. Since your human mother was a witch, your capability with magic should be higher than Ms.Soran's. Is this making sense?"

"Yes, sir." the girls answered in unison.

McGonagall smirked. "Manners? That's good." The semi-smile on the shorter demon's face faltered. Using telepathy or not, Kaze could easily tell what McGonagall was thinking. It was written all over the woman's face, distrust. Even though Dumbeldore had assured her that the girls would not turn on them, she was still skeptical. Although who could blame her. In this time of turmoil it wasn't safe to trust everyone.

Seeing the looks in both McGonagall and Kaze's eyes, Dumbledore quickly continued the conversation. "There are many things to be done before the schoolyear starts. First of all, how old are you?"

"Kaze is sixteen, and I will be sixteen in August." answered Reina since her friend was currently locked in a glaring contest with the aging witch.

"Then you will be put in with the sixth years. This means you'll have to work hard to catch up in the weeks before September." said Dumbledore, ignoring the hostility between demon and witch. Reina nodded her acceptance of the challenge.

"Good. Now, onto the matter of school rules. I inform all students of these at the banquet held the first night of their arrival. Professor McGonagall will give you the overview of them when she gives you a tour of the castle later. She will also inform you of the functions of Hogwarts." Dumbledore took up his wand and waved it over two pieces of parchment. Black ink formed words over the parchment in a neat style. He then stood up with the newly covered pieces in his hands.

"These are lists of all the supplies needed for the two of you to catch up. Books, potions, cauldrons, uniforms, and the sort. I will make some calls and have the things delivered here."

"The first stop will be clothing." McGonagall interrupted. The half-demon ignored the hidden insult on her wardrobe, however, the same could not be said for Kaze.

The wind demon glanced at her outfit and then at Reina's. She saw no problem with their clothes. Most people didn't approve of it, but the girls didn't care. They liked it and thought it portrayed their individuality. "What do you mean by that?" Kaze asked offensively. "There's nothing wrong with the way we dress." Reina elbowed her in the side, but the half-demon knew that that wasn't going to stop her.

"Perhaps you do not think so, but it doesn't matter. You and Ms.Krone will be required to wear the regulated girl's uniform." said McGonagall in response.

"And what does this 'uniform' consist of?" asked Kaze a bit irritated.

"A blouse, skirt, tie, and robe." the witch replied.

Kaze's eye twitched at the mention of a skirt. Reina only sighed and propped her head up on her hand. _'Here we go.'_ she thought as she watched her friend closely.

"A skirt?" gaped Kaze. "You've got to be kidding." When McGonagall cracked a smile of amusement at the demon's expense, Kaze could tell this was not a joke. "I don't do skirts. Can I just wear pants like the guys?"

McGonagall seemed taken aback by this question. She stood up from her seat and stepped closer to the defiant teenager. "You are a young lady, and you will wear clothes fit for a lady. Honestly, if you want to fit in with the other students then you must act normal."

"Newsflash! I'm not normal, I'm a demon." Kaze rose from her seat as well. Even standing straight, Kaze only reached just below McGonagall's shoulders.

"That is no excuse for acting like a tomboy."

"I'm not wearing a skirt."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No!"

"Yes!"

Neither female was going to back down. Reina wasn't sure about McGonagall, but she knew Kaze could go on for a good while. She always did. Like Reina, the wind demon was strong in all of the fights she got dragged into. Most of hers were verbal fights though. But she was just as good with her fists as she was with her tongue. Usually Reina enjoyed watching such arguments, but she was worried about this one. It's bad enough to pick a fight with an older kid, and it was even worse to do it with a teacher.

Reina looked over towards Dumbledore, who she was surprised to see was looking back at her. She showed him a nervous smile before approaching his desk. "I'm really sorry about this, Headmaster. And I can assure you she won't do it again." The half-demon extended her hand in the feuding women's direction and jerked it a few inches to the right. A blanket of darkness crept up from the floor to settle between the combatants. Not two seconds later, Kaze was kncoked back into her chair, wrapped in the sheet of black.

The little black bundle squirmed around in the chair. Muffles of "Reina!" and "Let me out!" escaped from the captured demon. The half-demon paid no attention to her. She instead faced Dumbledore and McGonagall.

"That was interesting." Dumbledore said with a chuckle. "I don't think there has ever been a student brave enough to stand up to you like that, Minerva." McGonagall didn't answer. "Anyway, let's get the two of you settled."

The shadow demon waved a hand over the struggling ball of black. Instantly the shadow seeped back into the floor. Kaze stuck her tongue out at Reina who smiled in return.

"Professor McGonagall will show you to the rooms you'll be staying in until the sorting. You may relax there or explore the school. Someone will come for you later." said Dumbledore. He bid them farewell and McGonagall urged the girls out of the office.

During the walk through the castle, McGonagall pointed out the halls or passages leading to places the girls would have to know. This would include the Great Hall, the library, certain classrooms, and the way to the house dormitories. Reina and Kaze had forgotten the directions in minutes, but they remained quiet. They finally stopped in front of a large oak door a few stairways over from the Gryffindor House residency.

"Until the start of the schoolyear in September, this will be your room." McGonagall stated. She pulled out her wand and tapped the door with it. At first nothing happened, but then there was a clicking sound and the door slowly swung open. McGonagall ushered her charges into the room and then stepped in after them.

The room they stood in was lit by a fireplace on the left side of what appeared to be a small sitting room. A couch and armchair faced each other in the middle of the space. On the walls hung some portraits of moving people. Reina noticed the movement and looked at McGonagall.

"Excuse me," she said. McGonagall gave the girl her attention. "Is it my imagination or are those pictures moving?" Reina pointed weakly at the magical wall ornaments.

"They are moving." the witch stated bluntly. The half-demon dropped her hand and the subject. "Now," McGonagall continued. "Ms.Krone, your belongings are in the back room on the left. Ms.Soran's are in the room on the right. As for the door," She gestured to the entrance behind them. "Professor Dumbledore has enchanted it to open to each of your signatures. In other words, you will open it with a sweep of wind, and you with a touch of darkness." she said to each of them in turn.

After her brief explanation, McGonagall spun around and left the room. Kaze and Reina stood there examining the living quarters with their eyes. Eventually they went straight to the back where two doors hid two more rooms. Kaze suggested they unpack before doing anything else. Her friend agreed and they split up into the separate rooms.

The bedrooms were not that spacious, but it worked for a short stay. The first thing Reina did was close the curtains around the small window. Kaze decided to open hers so there was a gentle breeze flowing through. But whatever they did different, the girls were thinking the same thing. This was going to be one hell of an experience.


	5. Chapter 5

Kuro: Hiya, pplz!

Kaze: Yes, welcome for another chapter!

Kuro: Since we're on Spring Break, you might get lucky. I just might be in a writing mood meaning another update soon.

Kaze: Yes, but it would do us better if we got more reviews, you know.

Kuro: Yep! More reviews needed. Reviews inspire a certain bat to write. Tell your friends about this story, force your younger siblings to read and review, do something creative and torturous.

Kaze: Although that sounds like fun batty, let's not be _too_ evil, ok?

Kuro: (pouts) Ok. Onto the story.

Kaze: Ok, we own nothing but ourselves and a few others. One more thing, we would like about 5 review, if possible.

Kuro: Thank you!

Kaze: Now enjoy.

Review Responses:

Nathan Ridge- Ignore my typos plez.And for your other point,an explanation forHarry's placement with the Dursleys will come along later in the story.

Tanya Potter-I'm glad you like it. Reinaand Kaze do know that Harry will be at Hogwarts.

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 5

The curtains were closed, the lantern blown out, and the door was shut. Reina's demonic vision enabled her to see in the dark well, so she made no move to light up the room. Instead, the young woman was walking through the small room unpacking her things. There was a bed, a dresser, and a bedside table in the room. Reina placed her clothes in the dresser, and a photo of her parents on the nightstand.

After putting her things away, Reina quietly opened the door and peeked out. Kaze wasn't in the main room so she must have still been in her bedroom. The half-demon went back in, grabbed something off the bed, and left the room for the main one. She sat in the armchair, checking once again to make sure she was alone. After deciding that Kaze would not be out for at least another five minutes, Reina gently opened the cover to the photo album that rested in her lap.

The first picture was of a young Darikk and Marina Potter. They weren't looking at the camera, but had known it was there. The black and white photo was in movement as Darikk held Marina bridal style and spun in a circle. Reina was aware of the enchantment on the photographs. However, she didn't know that all of the photos taken in the wizarding world were like these. That's why she was surprised when seeing the portraits on the wall earlier.

Reina turned the page with a sigh. The next picture was of her mother and a different man. This male was human and slightly resembled Marina. It was James Potter, Marina's brother and Reina's uncle. There were many photos of the two Potter children together. It was obvious they were close. Another picture was of James and his wife Lily. Darikk had told his daughter stories about her uncle and aunt. Most of the tales were about things James did in school while trying to impress Lily. Reina found it hard to believe that Lily once hated James.

The half-demon stopped when she came upon two family portraits, one on the left page and one on the right. The family on the left was of James and Lily Potter with a baby boy in the woman's lap. The other was of Darikk and Marina Krone with a baby girl. Those children were Harry and Reina.

A feeling of longing welled up in Reina's stomach. She ran a hand over her cousin's face. This was the only picture of her cousin that Reina possessed. She didn't even know what Harry looked like now which saddened her.

Reina was knocked out of her self pity at the sound of a door opening. She quickly hid the photo album behind the pillow on the armchair before Kaze walked in from the short hallway.

"I don't care what that woman says, I am not wearing a skirt." Kaze mumbled as she plopped down on the couch. Her friend expressed a small laugh at the wind demon's expense.

"Do what you wish, but I am not gonna save your butt next time." Reina declared.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you could have gotten us expelled before school even started. The Headmaster didn't seem to mind so much, but Professor McGonagall was furious."

Kaze sighed in momentary defeat. "I guess you're right. But if there is even the slightest chance I don't have to wear it, then I'm going for it." After that declaration of defiance, Reina could only smile and drop the issue.

The half-demon checked her pocket watch that Darikk had given her for her fifteenth birthday. Her thumb rubbed over the symbol engraved on the cover and pushed the button on the side. It was a quarter after nine. Reina looked back up at Kaze.

"What now?" she asked. The wind demon shrugged her shoulders. "Your a big help."

"I know." replied Kaze with a grin.

"How about we walk around and try to become familiar with the layout of this place?"

When Kaze shrugged again, the half-demon got up and pulled her fellow indecisive demon off the couch. Together they left their quarters for the stair filled hallway. They were walking down the marble staircase when the structure began to shake. Reina and Kaze stumbled a bit before they could grab onto the banister.

"What the hell!" exclaimed Kaze.

Reina was thinking the same thing as the marble staircase disconnected from the platform and started moving to the right. She looked around at the other steps to see some of them moving as well. Directing her attention back to the one she was standing on, the half-demon saw that it had come close to another platform. This one was on the opposite side as the original and two doors over from the door the girls were meant to go through. A few seconds later the stairs clicked into its new spot.

There was a moment of silence after the steps changed their directions. Both teenagers froze in their places, still gripping the handrail. Finally, Kaze broke the silence. "What just happened?"

"The stairs moved on their own." answered Reina with a hint of sarcasm. She earned herself a glare from the wind demon. "It's probably just a spell or something. We'll just go through this door and find out where it leads us." Heading down the remaining steps, the half-demon passed her friend and reached the door before Kaze had even moved. "Come on."

Throwing her doubts aside, Kaze followed Reina through the door and into the next room. They emerged in a long hallway with stairs at both ends. At random the girls chose to go right. It was like this for sometime. At each intersection they would go anywhich way, coming across various places in the castle. When the demons passed the library, the Great Hall, the restrooms, and even the different living quarters for the houses, Reina made an attempt to memorize their location.

Throughout their journey, both demons refrained from using their powers even though they were itching to do so. Two and a half hours had passed before Reina cared to check her watch again. They decided to head back to their room, but the path was blocked as they turned the corner. Sitting on the floor in front of the girls, staring back at them with glowing yellow eyes, was an old cat.

"That's one ugly cat." Reina commented. The feline hissed menacingly at the half-demon.

"Careful, Rei. I think it heard you." said Kaze with a smirk.

"Haha, very funny. Let's go."

When Kaze and Reina tried to walk around the cat, it bared its teeth at them again. The demons ignored it, but could no longer do so as the cat jumped in front of them.

"Mrs.Norris!" someone called from around the corner. The cat's ears perked up when its name sounded through the hall. Even the pointed ears of the demons twitched at the raspy voice.

The footsteps became louder as their owner got closer. A second later, a disgusting smell reached the noses of the unsuspecting demons. Following the stench was a disturbing man. He rounded the corner with a grunt and stopped at the sight of the teens. His matted hair fell like pieces of string over his shoulders, yellow teeth exposed when he snarled.

"There you wretches are. Took forever to track you down. Professor Dumbledore wants the two of you to come to lunch." the man said. He then started walking away, the cat right on his heels. When Reina and Kaze didn't follow, the man looked back at them. "Well, come on." he commanded. The girls immediately went after him.

As they walked through the hall, Reina nudged her friend. She tapped her head with a finger when Kaze glanced over. The wind demon understood. Once Reina opened her mind, Kaze was able to read her thoughts enabling a silent conversation that could not be overheard.

_"It's times like these that I wish my sense of smell wasn't so keen."_ Reina commented through the mental link.

_"Agreed. This guy reeks."_ Kaze projected back. At the look of disgust on the wind demon's face, Reina let out a soft laugh which, luckily, went unnoticed by Filch.

_"I assume it's worse for you since your senses are even keener than my own."_

_"Ya think?"_

Kaze severed the link as they came upon the Great Hall. Filch opened the door and stepped back to allow the girls entrance. He looked at them with a strange grin on his face as they passed him. Once in, Filch left, closing the door behind him. Reina and Kaze ignored the strange man and instead focused on the people at the front of the room.

Sitting at the head table was Dumbledore and McGonagall. The Headmaster waved the teenagers over with his uninjured hand. Quickly they made their way to the table.

"How was your tour of the school?" asked Dumbledore once the girls reached them.

"Interesting." Kaze simply stated.

"That's good to hear. Well, are you hungry?" The wizard gestured to the two chairs positioned on the opposite side of the table.

"Thank you, Headmaster." said Reina as she and Kaze sat down. To their amazement, food and beverages materialized in front of them. The two teachers began eating without concern. When he noticed their guests not touching anything, Dumbledore prompted them to eat. The girls obeyed and joined in the lunch.

After five minutes of silence, Dumbledore sipped his drink and then addressed the young women. "All of the materials you will need have arrived and are already in your room. The only things left are the wands, uniforms, and animals. Someone will be stopping by tomorrow to measure for your uniforms, and the same goes for the wands. We'll send for the animals once you've chosen which you would like to own." he explained.

"What kind of animal do we need?" asked Kaze.

"We suggest an owl, cat, or frog." McGonagall said.

Dumbledore focused on the quiet half-demon. She was picking at her food with a fork and staring off into space. There was obviously something on her mind. The wizard had his suspicions about what was bothering her, but decided to ask her later.

"Ms.Krone," he said gently.

Reina looked up from her plate. "Yes?"

"Do you know what creature you'd like to have?"

"Um, I kinda already have an animal in mind. He's not exactly an owl, but he's got wings and feathers." the half-demon said hopefully. Dumbledore wordlessly told her to go on. "He's a raven."

"Ah, an elegant and mysterious bird. That will do." the wizard said.

His approval put a smile on Reina's face. The half-demon took a sip of her drink before going at the food again. The rest of the lunch period went by with little conversation. When all four were finished, they rose from the table.

"That was delicious. Thank you very much." commented Reina.

"I am pleased to hear you enjoyed it. I will pass on your compliment to the house elves." said Dumbledore.

Neither girl knew what a house elf was, so they just nodded their heads and smiled. "You are to do what you wish for the remainder of the day. However, I do request that neither of you use your demonic powers in the castle, with the exception of your room. I haven't gotten around to modifying the enchantments around the school yet." Dumbledore informed them. After being excused, Reina and Kaze returned to their room.


	6. Chapter 6

Kuro: Guess who!

Kaze: Kuronue...--'

Kuro: Party pooper.

Kaze: Gee, sorry if sugar don't affect me as fast as it affects you. Which is sad cuz I'm eating some of my kisses as we speak.

Kuro: Gomen. Ok, thanks to the people who reviewed. And we hope you enjoy this chapter as much or more as youhave the others.

Kaze: Yes, this one has some fun but not much. Another thing, you now get to meet our pets!

Kuro: Uh-huh. Now, we own nothing but ourselves and a few others.

Kaze: Yes, please enjoy and review. We would like at least 5 reviews for the chapter. Onegai? (please)

Kuro: Here it is!

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 6

The fire lit up the small replica of a common room. It was quiet other than the roaring flames and the soft beating of rain on the window at the end of the hall. Kaze had gone to bed two hours ago. Now, Reina was sitting alone on the carpet in front of the fireplace. Her mind was wondering, but she was jolted back to reality by a gentle knock on the door. She scrambled to her feet and went to the door.

"Headmaster?" Reina was surprised to see the man standing there. However, she invited him in nonetheless.

"I'm sorry if I woke you." Dumbledore said to the girl as he walked passed her.

"No, not at all. I was still awake." she replied.

Dumbledore relaxed in the armchair whilst Reina sat across from him on the couch. It was silent for a moment before the wizard said; "I wanted to talk to you about a few things, Reina. Is now a good time or would you rather do it tomorrow?"

"Tonight is fine, sir."

"Very well." Dumbledore shifted into a more comfortable position, but was poked in the back by something sharp. He reached behind the pillow to his right and pulled out the obstruction. "What's this?"

Reina's unusual colored eyes darted to the photo album in the wizard's hand. She had forgotten that it was there. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was still there." She scooted forward to retrieve it.

"May I?" Dumbledore asked. The half-demon wasn't quite sure why he wanted to look at it, but she figured there was no harm in it. The wizard flipped through the pages wearing a small smile, never saying a word. Reina just sat there watching him.

When Dumbledore was on the family portraits, his eyes peeked over his spectacles at Reina and then back to the photo. He looked through the remainder of the pictures and handed it to Reina. He then reached into one of the pockets of his robes, removing a piece of paper.

"Take this." he instructed, offering the object to his newest student.

Reina took the paper from him and turned it over. It was a photograph, one of a young man around her age. He was an attractive boy in the half-demon's opinion. His green eyes peered out from behind a pair of thin glasses. His hair fell over his forehead, but Reina could see the lightening bolt-shaped scar.

She looked up from the image and asked, "Is that him? Is it Harry?" With the wizard's nod, Reina's lips curled up in a smile.

"I thought you would like to see him. That photograph will have to do until September though." Dumbledore said.

"Thank you." the girl replied. She opened the cover of the album and placed her cousin's picture there so she put it in permanently later. "Was Harry what you wished to talk about, sir?"

"He is one of them, yes."

Now that the photo album was out of the way, Dumbledore made himself comfortable. "Once the students have arrived, I will make an appointment with Harry so that he can be informed about your existence."

"Sir," Reina politely interrupted. "I would rather not tell him yet. After everything that's happened lately, I don't want to burden him with the shocking news of a long lost cousin. It might not be wise to tell him of my existence so soon after Sirius Black's death. Not to mention the dangers that Voldemort has created."

"How do you know about Sirius?" asked the wizard curiously.

"I have a tendency to sneak off to the more shallow end of Diagon Alley. There I find stories in the Daily Prophet about the going-ons in the wizarding world. That's how I found out about Sirius's death. And I knew he was Harry's godfather because my father told me." the half-demon explained.

"I see." Dumbledore was beginning to think the girl's reasoning was understandable. "When do you suggest we tell him?"

"I don't know, but I will tell him in time."

"You are very considerate. That is a good quality in a student." said the Headmaster with a smile. He opened his mouth to continue, but was disrupted by a clicking sound. He and Reina looked to the window.

Perched on the outside windowsill and tapping on the glass was a black raven. It stared into the room with beady red eyes, an unusual color for a bird. When the bird noticed that the people inside were looking at it, the tapping ceased. Reina got up and strode over to the window. She opened the glass, allowed the raven to hop onto her forearm, and then went back to the couch.

The half-demon softly stroked the raven's head with her finger. "Good boy." she cooed. "Headmaster, this is Mayoke."

The raven cocked its head in the wizard's direction.

"Beautiful." Dumbledore commented.

"What else did you want to talk about, sir?" Reina asked, still stroking Mayoke.

"Oh, yes. The matter of yours and Ms.Soran's appearance during the school year. I will teach both of you a spell that will alter your features so that you may blend in with the other students. Do you have any questions?"

"No, sir."

"If so, then I think I will be going."

Dumbledore rose from his seat, as did Reina who followed him to the door. Before departing the wizard turned and said, "I'll be back in the morning." Having said that, he left.

After Dumbledore was gone, Reina picked up the photo album and flipped to an empty page. Taking the picture of Harry from the front, she placed it in the slits in the paper. Once it was secure, she closed the album and went to her room with Mayoke.

The next morning was bright and sunny, making the shadow demon even more reluctant to get out of bed. However, Kaze was up by nine o' clock, dressed and ready to go. Dumbledore kept his promise and showed up at around nine-thirty with another old wizard.

"Good morning!" Kaze chirped when she opened the door. Dumbledore and the second man walked into the sitting room.

"Good morning, Kaze." greeted Dumbledore. He looked around curiously for a moment then asked, "Where is Ms.Krone?"

Kaze glanced down the hallway and sighed. "Excuse me." She walked over to her friend's bedroom door. While pounding on the door with her fist, the wind demon yelled, "Reina! You were supposed to be out of bed half an hour ago. Get you butt out here!"

She stood outside the door for a minute, impatiently tapping her foot. The door then opened to reveal a sleepy half-demon. "What?" she hissed. Kaze pointed to the men watching them. Reina's half-open eyes widened and she retreated back into her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

"She'll be out in a minute." the wind demon said as she walked back to the wizards.

Sure enough, Reina emerged from her room in no more than sixty seconds, fully presentable but not fully awake. She greeted Dumbledore with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Headmaster. I didn't expect you to be here this early."

"That's quite all right. But you may want to get more sleep when classes begin." Dumbledore said. He then turned to speak with the other man.

Kaze moved closer to her friend. "Yeah, you should get more sleep." she whispered with a teasing grin at the half-demon's expense. She already knew the school's schedule was seriously going to screw up Reina's sleep pattern.

"It's not my fault that I'm not a morning person." Reina whispered back.

"Reina, Kaze," The girls directed their attention to Dumbledore and the second man, who they assumed to be another wizard. "This is Mr.Ollivander. He will be fitting you with new wands." Dumbledore informed them.

The wizard called Ollivander studied the girls intently from where he stood. When he was done with the overlook he gestured to Kaze.

"Let's start with you." he said.

With that said, a tape measure appeared out of thin air. It wormed over to the wind demon. "Hold up your wand hand." instructed Ollivander while he moved his wand in the direction of the back of the room. Like the measuring tape had, several thin boxes manifested and began stacking themselves on top of one another. As more and more boxes appeared, the tape measure moved in circles around the shorter girl.

"Well, wand hand up." Ollivander repeated.

"Is that the one I write with?" Kaze asked.

"Yes."

Kaze held out her right hand. The tape immediately began measuring her arm. While this was going on, Ollivander was looking through the many stacks of boxes. When it was done, the tape measure went limp and fell to the ground. It was then that the wizard carefully removed one of the boxes and approached Kaze. He opened the container, offering the wand inside to the wind demon.

"Try this one. Nine and three-quarters inches, oak and unicorn hair."

Picking the wand up, Kaze mimicked the swishing motion she'd seen Ollivander do. There was a loud popping noise, similar to that of a firework, followed by a streak of gold that burned a hole straight through the cushioning of the couch.

"Apparently not." said Ollivander. He took that wand from Kaze and gave her another. The results of the second were no better than those of the first.

While Ollivander shoved wand after wand at Kaze, Reina had stepped closer to Dumbledore.

"Headmaster, is it all right for him to see Kaze and I like this?" she asked.

"He hasn't a clue who you are. I told him that your appearance was the outcome of a spell that backfired. There is nothing to worry about." Dumbledore said.

At ease with the situation, Reina looked back to her friend's current dilemma of finding a wand. Kaze was standing there looking bored out of her mind. There were two more holes in the sofa, the vase that was on a small table in the corner was shattered, and the most recent mishap was Ollivander's now pink hair.

"I should've known that one wasn't going to work." Ollivander changed his hair back to its original white using his own wand. "You'll be needing an even stronger wand. Let's see." He walked his fingers across the boxes. He pulled out a box and opened it. "Nine inches, maple and phoenix feather."

Kaze held the wand, and didn't even have to wave it for something to happen. A breeze flowed through the room though all the windows were shut. Kaze felt a surge of energy in her arm that traveled to the rest of her body. When the wind stopped, Ollivander wore a triumphant grin.

"That's it. Now you." he said pointing at Reina.

The tape measure came back to life, going over the same process as before on the half-demon. As the string-like tool did its job, Reina watched Ollivander searching through the stacks. The tape finished, but this time vanished instead of falling to the floor.

"If you are anything like your friend there, we should probably start with the more advanced wands. Maybe it will save what is left of the sofa." Ollivander said as he gave the girl a wand to try out.

Reina held the magic stick in her left hand and gave it a wave. There was a crackling sound, then the half-demon yelped and instantly dropped the wand. In answer to the curious looks directed toward her, she said, "It shocked me." She blew softly on her red skin.

"Hm, that's strange." Ollivander mumbled as he inspected Reina's hand. "No wand has ever shocked someone before. Well, ready to try again?"

The tingling in her hand was fading. "Yes." replied Reina. Ollivander nodded, going back to searching through the stacks.

"Eleven inches, mahogany and phoenix feather." Once again the half-demon was shocked. She turned to Dumbledore.

"Is a wand really necessary?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I am afraid so."

"In that case, keep 'em coming." Reina said sarcastically.

With every new wand she tried, the skin on Reina's hand became even more irritated. After about the fifth wand, Kaze was no longer concerned about her friend. Instead she found it amusing how the half-demon always managed to get stuck in the strangest predicaments. Kaze couldn't refrain from letting a snicker escape at the look of impatience and boredom on Reina's face after trying who knows how many wands.

"Ten and a half inches, ebony and dragon heartstring. Pray this is the one."

Not having much hope it was, Reina took the wand from the wizard. She prepared for the pain, but it never came. Black smoke emanated from the wand's tip, swirling through the air around the girl. Dumbledore saw a strange symbol appear on Reina's forehead and then vanish as the smoke cleared. He hoped that Ollivander hadn't noticed it. From the looks of it, he hadn't.

"Finally. Now if you'll excuse me." Ollivander waved his wand making all of the boxes disappear.

"Yes, thank you for your time." Dumbledore said, escorting the wizard to the door.

Just as Ollivander left there was a knock. Dumbledore opened the door again. Professor McGonagall and another witch stepped in. The unfamiliar woman was middle-aged, gray hairs growing amongst blonde hairs.

"Let's get this over with, Albus. I'd rather be in my own home." she grumbled.

"Katherine, we were going to send for an animal. You didn't have to come all the way out here." Dumbledore told her.

"I don't trust the mail service these days." the woman said as she walked to the center of the room. She did the same thing Ollivander had done, but there were no boxes, just several cages. The room was filled with squawking, croaking, hooting, and other noises. "Now, who needs an animal?"

Kaze looked to Dumbledore who nodded in response. "I do." she said.

"Then hurry up."

The wind demon jumped a bit at the harshness in the witch's voice. She abruptly went to the cages and started looking around. 'Too slimy.' she thought when she passed the frogs. 'These birds are too loud. Hm, what's in here?' Kaze knelt down so she could look into a cage on the bottom. Inside and curled up in a ball at the back was a tiny kitten. The feline raised its head when it heard someone there. It was a midnight black with white front paws.

"Come here." called Kaze to the kitten.

The cat slowly walked towards the front of the cage. It stared at Kaze with its glowing eyes as if it were studying her. Kaze allowed it to sniff her finger through a hole in the small door. When it was satisfied, the kitten let out a soft meow.

"I'll take this little guy." Kaze said.

The witch walked over and looked surprised at the cat's behavior. 'That feline usually scares half the people that try to pet it. Oh well, at least it's out of my hands." She opened the cage, grabbed the cat, and thrust it at Kaze. She then collected her pay from Dumbledore and left.

"Headmaster, how are we to pay for all our things?" Reina asked. She glanced at Kaze who was cradling her new pet.

"Darikk gave me enough money to pay for any expenses you might have. And," Dumbledore pulled out a small bag and handed it to Reina. "He said this was for whatever you chose to use it for."

"Thank you, sir."

"I'll be back when the seamstress arrives." he said. The wizard then left along with Professor McGonagall.

"So, what are you going to name that cat?" Reina asked once the adults had departed.

Kaze thought for a moment before cheerfully saying, "Fireball!" The kitten's ears perked up at its new name. It meowed in agreement and rubbed against the demon's arm.

"Cute." Reina said with a sigh.

Later in the afternoon, the seamstress had come carrying a bag that seemed bottomless as she pulled countless things from it. Dumbledore and McGonagall weren't present during the fitting. This gave Kaze her chance to get out of wearing a piece of feminine lower body clothing. She was somehow able to convince the seamstress to make her a pair of pants. Seeing that Kaze was able to do this, Reina took a chance and got the woman to make her skirt ankle-length.

"You do know Professor McGonagall is going to find someway to use this against you." Reina said when she and Kaze were alone again.

"Like I care. I'm going to wear what I want to wear." replied the wind demon.

"This should be interesting."


	7. Chapter 7

Kuro: Sorry for the over-the-week-update-limit. But somebody (looks at Kaze accusingly) was too tired to do the A/N.

Kaze: Gee, sorry if I was too tired from being on my feet for the whole day Saturday.

Kuro: Lol. At least you weren't on them in heels. That hurts.

Kaze: Not the point.

Kuro: Hehehe. Okie dokie pplz! (just had sugar) Onto chapter...uh, what are we on? (checks the document) Oh yea! Chapter 7!

Kaze: Baka desu nee! No more sugar until after you post the chapter.

Kuro: Kanoshii kao!

Kaze: Ok, enough japanese. We don't want to confuse the readers any further, now do we?

Kuro: Nope cuz they review! Speaking of review...DON"T FORGET TO REVIEW!

Kaze: Be nice! But please leave a review. We own nothing from HP, only our characters and a few others.

Kuro: Enjoy!

Review Responses:

TanyaPotter- Are you online all the time? Everytime I update this I get a review from you not a few minutes later. Just kidding. I know the last chpt was a bit boring. But I think you'll enjoy this one better. At least I hope you do.

Alaskangirl24- Thank you! And I will try to find the time to write more. Although that might bea bit of a problem until after May. But I'll try.

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 7

As the weeks went by, the two young demons became more familiar with the tricks of the castle and magic in general. They had mini lessons, as Reina called them, with Professor McGonagall almost everyday for the first few weeks. After the girls understood the basics of each subject, McGonagall's lessons grew longer and the material gradually became more difficult. But Reina and Kaze managed to get through them with little mass destruction. In their spare time they worked on the several essays McGonagall assigned. Up until September, their textbooks were the only companions they had.

Two days before the other students were to arrive, the girls finally caught up on six years of work. In that time, Kaze became surprisingly good in Arithmancy, and, to McGonagall's dislike, Transfiguration. Although something made the half-demon think that Kaze was purposely trying to unsettle the professor. Reina, on the other hand, showed no great interest in any particular subject. But she was too worried to really be able to become interested.

"Happy birthday!" Kaze exclaimed as she walked into the sitting room. It was the morning before September first.

"Thanks." Reina said looking up from her copy of 'Magical Drafts and Potions'.

"Here."

Kaze thrust a box wrapped in purple paper at her friend. Reina put her book down next to her and opened the parcel. Inside was a chain with a dark purple crystal pendant hanging from it. Reina hooked the necklace around her neck.

"Thanks, Kaze. It's beautiful." she said.

"You're welcome." The wind demon watched Reina finger the crystal in a distracted manner. "He'll write. He's probably just busy."

"But it's been over a month. What could he be doing that would keep him busy for so long?" Reina sighed.

"Look, Rei. Darikk said he would write when he got the chance, right? When have you known your father to break a promise?" Kaze said trying to reassure her.

"Never! That's why I am so worried. He could be hurt for all we know."

"Or not. Isn't that his shadow-manifested-bird thing, or whatever the hell it is?"

Reina's head whipped around to the window. She scrambled off the sofa, almost tripping in the process. The window creaked as she threw it open. The bird-like thing hovering outside perched itself on the table under the windowsill. As soon as Reina's hand touched the black smoky material that was the creature's skin, it disappeared in a cloud of darkness. When the air cleared there was a piece of parchment left on the table.

The parchment was folded and had the half-demon's name written on it. Reina took the letter, went back to the sofa, and read it.

_Reina, _

_How is your stay at Hogwarts thus far? I apologize for not writing sooner, but I have had a bit of trouble getting settled. On a more joyful note, happy birthday. Your gift is waiting for you in the Shadow Realm. You may have to look around a bit, but it is there. I must be going now. Take care._

_With love,_

_Your Father _

_P.S.- Do not send any creature from this world with a reply. Use one from the Shadow Realm._

When she was finished, Reina placed the letter inside her potions book. She was grateful that Darikk was unharmed. Rising from the couch, she told Kaze she'd be back in a bit and went to her room.

September came upon the school, signaling the start of yet another year. The castle was bustling with all the teachers who had just arrived that morning. The witches and wizards prepared their classrooms and everything else in need of their attention. While this was happening, Reina and Kaze remained hidden in their room.

The bedrooms were vacant, the things that once adorned them now sat in trunks on the floor of the main room. The place was cleaned up and looked just as it did the day the girls arrived over a month prior. Those girls were sitting nervously on the sofa, waiting for McGonagall to retrieve them. Kaze was playing with Fireball, and Reina mindlessly stroked Mayoke.

Both demons jumped up from their seats when the door opened. McGonagall entered the room and walked over to them. At first she seemed to be in a good mood, but it didn't last. The witch frowned when she examined the two girls in their uniforms. She didn't mind Reina's alteration to her own uniform too much. However, Kaze's lacking of the skirt and instead wearing slacks did not go over so well with McGonagall. But, surprisingly, she said nothing of it.

"Now," McGonagall began. "Your things will be left here. Once you are sorted they will be moved to the appropriate dormitories. The students will be here any minute now, so you will follow me downstairs where you will wait outside the main hall. The first years will be sorted, and then Professor Dumbledore will announce the new students. That is when you will enter the hall and be sorted into a house. Am I clear?"

"Crystal." Kaze mumbled sarcastically.

Reina elbowed her in the side. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Now disguise yourselves like you were taught." McGonagall said.

The half-demon approached the mirror that hung on the wall in the hallway. She removed her wand from her robe pocket and held the tip a few inches from her face. _"Dissimulo vultus."_ She watched her reflection in the glass as her appearance began to change. Her ears lost their point, rounding over like those of a human. Dark blue hair dyed brown but keeping its length. And her lavender eyes darkened until they were midnight black.

Reina reached up to rub the tips of her ears. _'No matter how many times I do that spell I am never going to get used to it.' _she thought. Her new appearance was strange to her, but she was relieved in a way. This spell allowed her to walk amongst humans without being shunned, without others knowing what she was.

"Why are your markings still visible?" McGonagall asked gesturing to Reina's wrists.

"Oh, these aren't demonic." Reina held up her hands for a better look at the raven tattoos. At the questioning look on the witch's face, she said, "The spell hides our demon traits. These are not demonic markings."

"I see. You're next, Ms. Soran."

Kaze took Reina's place in front of the mirror. She pointed her wand at herself and repeated the spell the half-demon used. Her features changed as well, however, hers weren't as drastic. Her ears became round and the air of power around her dissipated. Kaze unfastened the top two buttons of her shirt to make sure the tornado tattoo was gone. It was, so she fixed the uniform.

"Good. Now come along."

They went downstairs, through the halls, down more flights of stairs, and stopped outside of the main hall. Coming through the doors were numerous kids of all ages. The students continued on into the main hall where they disappeared from view.

"Stay here until Mr. Filch tells you otherwise." McGonagall instructed before walking across the way and around the opposite corner.

The demons looked over to the doors where Filch was standing. He acknowledged them for a moment then switched his gaze back onto the students. Kaze sighed and began twirling her wand with her fingers. While the wind demon occupied herself with that, Reina closely watched the students enter the castle. Her now black eyes darted over them searching for one in particular. She mostly looked over those with red and gold ties since Dumbledore had told her Harry was in Gryffindor house. However, she did consider watching some students from the other houses.

Once all students were settled in the main hall, the double doors closed. Reina turned back to Kaze who was now tossing a little wind ball from hand to hand. Grabbing the ball out of the air, Reina felt it crumble and vanish in her fist.

"What were you thinking? Someone could have see you." She whispered harshly.

Kaze rolled her eyes. "Chill. Everyone's inside and Filch isn't paying us any mind. Besides, what was the point of Dumbledore modifying the castle's enchantments if we can't use our powers?"

"Well, don't be using them around humans."

"Whatever."

The half-demon glanced at the doors then at her friend. "You look like a boy." She commented.

"So?" Kaze straightened her pants and tightened her low ponytail.

It was Reina's turn to roll her eyes. She looked back to the doors to see McGonagall leading a group of young students into the hall. _'Those must be the first years.' _she thought. The doors closed again when McGonagall and the children were in.

Filch turned to where the demons were hiding. He saw Reina peeking around the corner and waved her over. The half-demon dragged Kaze to the doors. There they pressed their ears to the door. The spell hid their abnormal features, but didn't diminish their senses so they could hear everything going on inside.

Calls of "Ravenclaw!" and "Slytherin!" reached their ears. There were cheers from the tables when someone was sorted into their house. More calls of "Gryffindor!" and "Hufflepuff!" sounded. This went on for a half hour or so before the commotion died down.

"Silence!" they heard Dumbledore call. "Along with the first years, I would like to welcome two new students that will be joining us here at Hogwarts." There was an explosion of voices, then silence again. "They come here as sixth years from a specialty school that prefers to remain anonymous. I hope that all of you will help them feel right at home."

Reina and Kaze felt the door tremble and begin to open. They pulled back away from the wood, watching as it revealed their presence to everyone in the room. The doors clicked into place when they were fully open. Dumbledore signaled them to come to the front.

"What do we do?" Kaze whispered.

"Go in." replied Reina. She then made her way down the aisle between the tables. Kaze stood there for a moment, and scurried after the half-demon when she regained her composure.

As the two demons walked to the front, the students around them stared. Some people made comments to each other when they passed. Kaze kept her gaze forward, ignoring everyone and everything except Dumbledore. The half-demon, on the other hand, closely studied the people with her peripheral vision.

While searching for her cousin's face, thinking she just missed him earlier, Reina felt a strange sensation up her spine. She slowed her pace and looked over to the Slytherin table. Of all the sets of eyes focused on her and Kaze, one pair stuck out. A young woman stared intently back at Reina with purple eyes not much darker than her own.

"_Hey,"_ Kaze's voice echoed in her head. _"Hurry up."_

Reina tore her gaze from the girl and redirected it to Dumbledore. The wizard gestured for the girls to stand on either side of him. Reina and Kaze obeyed, turning to face the students. At this point McGonagall had picked up the Sorting Hat and stood next to the stool.

"Reina Krone!" the witch called out.

The half-demon cautiously sat on the stool. McGonagall placed the old hat upon the girl's head and stepped back. Reina had to stop herself from moving when the hat came to life.

"_Ah,"_ the Sorting Hat exclaimed. _"Interesting! More immortal blood to judge. But you are not pure."_ There was a pause._ "A hybrid of demon and human."_ Reina panicked at the hat's words. She looked around, and was surprised to see no one acting in any manner of fear. Apparently she was the only one who could hear what the pointed hat said.

"A good mind, and brave for someone in your position. Many times you have found yourself in situations where you must fight, but always in self-defense. You accept pity from no one and you are determined to prove yourself amongst others. You want to be separate from everyone else. However, at the same time you seek acceptance."

The Sorting Hat's words were making Reina uneasy. It was creepy how it could know so much, even how she felt. But what really caught the shadow demon's attention was what the hat said about blood. "More immortal blood to judge." "What does that mean?" she thought.

"A challenge is what you need, to test your power and your heart. I know just where to place you." The hat's conscience seemed to severe its tie to Reina's. And then, "Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindor table burst into cheer as Reina made her way to an empty seat. She found one next to a bushy-haired girl and across from a redhead boy, both welcoming her to the school. She looked back over to the Slytherin table. That strange girl was still watching her. Reina switched her thoughts back to the sorting.

"Emi Soran!"

Kaze glared at McGonagall for using her real name. She sat on the stool and waited as the Sorting Hat was placed on her head.

"A wind demon. Friends with the half-demon I see." The Sorting Hat said. "You are strong and kind. You're a true friend when it comes to standing up for those you care about. The fuse of your temper reflects your height."

The hat's last speculation made Kaze's eye twitch in frustration. It wasn't enough to be called short by people, so now a ragged old hat was insulting her.

"Gryffindor!"

Kaze hopped off the stool and took a seat next to Reina. The people around her also greeted her. Now that the girls were sorted, Dumbledore announced the time to eat. Food magically appeared along the table and was attacked by hungry students.

"Reina, was it?" the bushy-haired girl asked. The half-demon nodded. "My name's Hermione Granger."

"And I'm Ron Weasley." The redhead stated with a chicken leg in his hand. "So, what kind of a name is Emi for a guy?"

Reina began choking on her pumpkin juice. Kaze's fork halted its travel to her mouth. Once she recovered, the half-demon burst out in laughter. Ron and Hermione stared at the new kids curiously.

"What's so funny?"

The wind demon glared at Ron, but then that soon turned into an evil grin. Reina opened her mouth to explain. She didn't get the chance though. A sharp pain arose in her shin from contact with Kaze's swinging foot. She muffled the curse that threatened to fall from her lips.

"My parents liked the name so much that they didn't care that I was a boy." Kaze said in a lower tone than her real voice. "Just call me Kaze."

Both Ron and Hermione seemed satisfied with it. Reina was looking at her friend suspiciously, but decided to play along thinking it would be a good laugh. So throughout dinner Kaze continued to play the part of a boy while she and Reina became more familiar with their new acquaintances.

Towards the end of dinner, the double doors burst open again. A young man stormed in, ignoring everyone staring at him. He sat down next to Ron.

"Where've you- blimey, what have you done to your face?" said Ron.

Grabbing a spoon, Harry examined his face in the silver. "Why, what's wrong with it?"

"You're covered in blood! Come here." Hermione said. Raising her wand, she stated, "Tergeo!"

The dried blood disappeared. "Thanks." said Harry.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione talked amongst themselves for a few minutes. Harry reached for some chicken, but it instantly turned to pudding.

"You missed the Sorting anyway," stated Hermione. It was then that she remembered the girls sitting to her left. "Oh, I almost forgot. Harry, these are the new students. They transferred here and were sorted into Gryffindor."

Harry looked over to the new kids. "Welcome to Hogwarts. I'm Harry Potter."

"Kaze." the wind demon said and then finished her drink.

"Reina Krone."

"What year are you?" Harry asked.

"Sixth." Reina replied.

"I still can't believe he's a sixth year. I mean, he's as short as a first year." mumbled Ron.

Kaze caught the comment and gave Ron a dirty look. "Excuse me," she said angrily. "Tell me again what I look like."

"You heard me?" Ron stammered. "Heh, sorry mate."

The rest of the feast went by quickly. When it was over, both the food and silverware vanished. Dumbledore stood behind the podium at the front. He spoke to everyone about the troubled times they were in. He warned them of the threat Voldemort posed to the wizarding community. They must be cautious and sage. After his speech, the students were dismissed.

The demons followed the famous trio to the Gryffindor tower. Hermione spoke the password to the fat lady in the portrait who granted them entrance. "Come on. Our rooms are up here." Hermione said to Reina. The two of them began to climb the steps, Harry and Ron doing the same on the other side. Kaze took a few steps towards the girls' dormitories when Hermione turned around and asked, "What are you doing? The boys' rooms are over there."

Kaze smiled her malicious grin and in her normal voice said, "Why would I go to the boys' rooms? After all, I am a girl." She placed a foot on the first step. When the trap didn't spring, the trio's mouths hung open.

"I'm surprised you guys didn't figure it out sooner." Reina said, leaning against the wall with a smirk on her lips. "Come on." She and Kaze went on up, soon followed by a stunned Hermione.

The new girls' stuff was awaiting them in the same room as Hermione's. She was happy to have roommates to hang with.

"I'm sorry we thought you were a boy." Hermione said, as they got ready for bed.

"It's all right. I just thought it would be fun to play a small joke when the opportunity arose." Kaze replied. She crawled into her four-poster bed, Fireball resting on her stomach. The others did the same.

About half an hour later, Hermione was fast asleep. This gave Reina and Kaze the chance to undo the spell hiding their true identities. With whispers of "Absconditus fateor," their demon traits returned. They now were able to sleep in peace, waiting for the start of a new lifestyle.


	8. Chapter 8

Hello! Kuro here. Sry that it's been over a week, but we got state tests over the next two weeks so updating might be a bit slow until the end of May. If you can bare with me until then I'll put up two chpts when they're over with. And for similar reasons, Kaze is busy and can't do the A/N now. Hopefully she'll be back for chpt 9. Thanks to all who have reviewed and for those who have not plez do.

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 8

The girl with the purple eyes stood from her seat at the Slytherin table. Moving a strand of her matching purple hair from her face, she watched the new kids leave the Great Hall. She knew there was something strange about them the moment they walked in the room.

"Kiku! Hurry up or we'll leave you behind." Malfoy called from the doors. He, Crabbe, and Goyle were waiting impatiently for the girl.

Kiku ignored the Slytherin boy, but left the Great Hall alongside him. Throughout the walk to the dormitories, Kiku paid little attention to the few people who said anything to her. Once in the common room, she dismissed herself from everyone and went to her room. She wasn't that tired so instead of sleeping, she began forming a plan to get to know the new kids better.

* * *

Feeling something on her nose, Kaze reluctantly opened her eyes and saw Fireball staring at her. He was hitting the wind demon on the nose with one of his white paws. Kaze picked the kitten up off her chest and sat up.

"Thank you, Mustang-taisa." she said to the cat after glancing at the clock. It was a quarter till seven. She probably could have slept for another fifteen minutes or so, but she was going to need that extra time to wake up a certain shadow demon.

Kaze got out of her bed and went over to Reina's. She glanced to Hermione who was still sleeping. Then she pulled back the curtains around the half-demon's bed. "Reina," she whispered. "It's time to get up." The girl didn't move. Kaze tried again, this time a bit louder. Reina stirred, but remained sleeping. Deciding to try once more in a few minutes, Kaze went back to her things to retrieve her uniform. She left the dormitory to change.

When she returned, Hermione was up and Reina was still playing the part of a corpse behind the bed curtains. The girls said good morning to each other before Hermione departed to change.

"Okay, Reina, I was nice before. But now you really need to get up." Kaze said aloud.

The wind demon put Fireball in Reina's bed. He woke her up so maybe he could wake up the half-demon. The little feline pawed at Reina's face as he had done to his owner. Reina moaned and rolled over causing Fireball to fall onto the mattress. She waved her hand in front of her face, mumbled something inaudible, and went back to sleep.

"That's it!" Kaze cried in frustration. She leaned over so she was close to her friend's ear. She took a breath and, "Get your ass out of bed, you lazy half-breed!"

Reina's eyes popped open and she nearly jumped out of bed. Her head came up and back, making a loud noise when it hit the wooden headboard.

"Dammit!" she cursed loudly, massaging the back of her throbbing skull. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"You wouldn't wake up. I had no choice." Kaze said innocently. She picked the kitten up and put him on her bed.

"You could have found a less painful way to do it." Reina retaliated. "But you just don't give a rat's ass, do you?"

"Of course not. Now, hurry up and cast the spell before Hermione gets back."

Reina grudgingly threw off the covers. She removed her wand from the robe lying across a chair. _"Dissimulo vultus." _Her appearance changed to that of a human. A second later the door opened and Hermione walked in.

"Are you two okay? I could hear you yelling from the common room." she said

"Yeah, we're fine." replied Kaze.

"Speak for yourself." muttered Reina who glared over at Kaze.

Hermione looked between her roommates. 'I finally get someone to share the room with and they happen to be insane.' she thought. "All right then. Do you want me to wait for you?"

"No thanks. We know the way. We'll meet you in the Great Hall." Reina said while collecting her uniform.

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

Hermione left the room again. Reina was changed and ready within minutes. She and Kaze then headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. They met up with the trio at the Gryffindor table.

"Good morning." the boys greeted, or at least that's what the sounds coming from Ron's full mouth resembled.

Kaze scooped some eggs ad toast onto her plate followed by milk in her cup. The half-demon propped her head up on her hand. She started to close her eyes, but was jolted awake by Kaze slamming her fist on the table. After a quiet exchange of quick insults, Reina rubbed her eyes so she wouldn't fall asleep again.

"Aren't you going to eat?" asked Harry.

"I don't eat breakfast." Reina replied. She knocked twice on the table with her fist. At first nothing happened, but then a mug appeared on the wood in front of her. "This is all I have in the mornings." She picked up the cup and took a sip. "The house elves make excellent tea."

At Reina's last comment, Hermione's face turned sour. She put her fork down and looked at the half-demon accusingly. "You force the house elves to make you tea every morning?" she asked angrily.

"What?" Reina put her cup down. "No, I don't force them to do anything." she replied kindly. She understood why Hermione was upset and didn't blame her for what she said. After hearing some of the stories of cruelty from the elves, Reina would never think of harming them. "They do it out of gratitude for when I would help them with their duties over the summer."

"Over the summer?" Harry eyed the two girls curiously. He started to ask why they had been at the school during vacation, but was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Professor." Harry and some of the others greeted.

McGonagall stood behind the boys, wand and schedules in hand. She began looking over Hermione's O.W.L. scores, which were of course good. The young witch was cleared to continue with all of her chosen classes. Once Hermione had departed for class, McGonagall moved on to Neville then Harry and Ron. The later two waited at the doors for their new classmates.

"I see you've become acquainted with Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger." McGonagall said to the two remaining students.

"They seem nice." said Reina. "It's good to know that I'm not related to a pompous jerk."

"Yes. Let's see." McGonagall scanned the pieces of parchment containing Reina's and Kaze's O.W.L. scores. Both girls had done surprisingly well for just learning it all in a couple of months. They had received either an 'Exceeds Expectations' or an 'Outstanding' in all of their subjects. "Miss Krone," she stated. "You are clear to continue with Ancient Runes, Charms, Care of Magical Creatures, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Potions, and Astronomy." She tapped a blank schedule with her wand and handed it to Reina.

"Thank you, Professor." The half-demon took the schedule and briefly looked it over. She waited for Kaze to be cleared of Arithmancy, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies. They then rejoined the boys outside the Great Hall.

Snatching the schedule from Kaze's hand, Ron read the paper and compared it to his own. He concluded that she was in three of his and Harry's classes, and that she was completely mental for taking Arithmancy. Harry politely asked to see Reina's schedule which she freely turned over.

"I think we've got another Hermione on our hands." Ron said as Kaze grabbed the paper from him. The wind demon was highly tempted to kick the boy, but restrained herself since there were teachers around.

"Maybe two more." Harry corrected after reading over the schedule and giving it back to Reina.

"I've got to be going. I'll see you guys next period." Reina said. She threw her bag over her shoulder and headed off to Ancient Runes.

Harry, Ron, and Kaze went back up to the common room, all three of them having a free period at this time. They entered the room, which was vacant besides a few seven-year girls. One of them came up to Harry and said something about the badge Harry was wearing. They discussed tryouts of some sort before the girl left the common room.

"She's right. You shouldn't just pick your friends for the team." Ron said in a low voice.

"Ron, you're good. You'll make the team because of skill, not because you are friends with the captain."

Having no idea what they were talking bout, Kaze stood off to the side in silence. She looked around the room then decided to sit down. The boys followed suit. "So, what team is this?" she asked, flipping through a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ that had been discarded on the table.

"The Gryffindor Quidditch team. I made captain this year so I'm in charge of putting a team together." answered Harry.

"Oh, cool. Another question," the girl stated, still looking through the paper. "What's Quidditch?"

She waited for an answer, but there was only silence. She put the _Daily Prophet_ down so she could see why they weren't answering. The boys were staring at her like she'd just grown a second head.

"You don't know what Quidditch is?" said Ron with a confused look on his face. Kaze shook her head. "Blimey! How can you not know what it is? Didn't they play it at your other school?"

"Other school?" Now Kaze was confused. Then she remembered what Dumbledore had said the night before. "No, the school isn't too open about things outside of an education." She lied hoping it would work. It did the trick. And she soon regretted ever asking what Quidditch was.

* * *

Reina walked into the classroom and was greeted by the Professor. She looked around and spotted Hermione who waved her over. Sitting down, she took out her textbook 'Ancient Runes Made Easy' and placed her bag under the seat.

"So, is this class interesting?" she asked.

"I think so." replied Hermione.

Throughout the class period, Reina developed the same conclusion. The professor was nice and the work wasn't overwhelmingly difficult. Although Reina's mother and father made the material easier. Darikk had taught his daughter about other languages and civilizations on their travels. The half-demon had also peeped at her mother's old school things as a child. It appeared that Marina was able to help her child even in death.

Towards the end of class, the students were instructed to read a chapter in their textbooks. Reina finished relatively quickly and looked over to Hermione. She was already done, now reading ahead to the next chapter. Seeing this, the half-demon could understand Ron's comment at breakfast. She took out a blank piece of parchment, wrote out a short message, and slid it over to the girl next to her.

Hermione turned her eyes from the book to the note. She looked up after reading it and smiled. Reina smiled as well then read the reply she got back. After a quick glance at the teacher, she scribbled down another question and passed the parchment. This time Hermione gave the other girl a quizzical look. Before she could write out her reply, the professor announced the end of the period. Hermione folded up the note and placed it in her bag along with her book. The two girls left for their next class, Defense Against the Dark Arts.

There was no chance for them to speak in the halls, nor did they get the opportunity when arriving at the classroom. Not long after reaching their destination, the girls spotted Harry, Ron, and Kaze coming towards them. Hermione rushed forward to meet her friends.

"You believe the amount of work we received in Ancient Runes." Stated Hermione. While she and the boys talked for a moment, Kaze walked past them.

"How was your first class of the first day?" the wind demon asked leaning against the wall.

"Good. What of your break?" Reina said facing the wall next to Kaze.

The shorter girl sighed. "Very…informative." She turned her head to look at the trio. "A word of advice, don't ask Harry or Ron what Quidditch is."

Riena would have questioned the other demon had it not been for the opening of the classroom door. A tall man walked out into the hall, his eyes quickly taking in the sight of the students. His greasy black hair fell around his face as he jerked his head. He ordered everyone into the classroom with on word. Quickly and quietly they filed into the room and took their seats.

The mood of the room was dark, and not in the sense that the shadow demon would enjoy. Little light enveloped the space; disturbing pictures adorned the walls. Just from he décor, the two demons could tell there was something unusual about this man. Snape shut the door and walked to the front of the room.

"I have not asked you to take out your books." Snape sneered. Hermione immediately dropped her textbook back into her bag. "I wish to speak to you, and I want your fullest attention. But first," Snape slowly walked down the aisle between the desks, observant black eyes focused on the two students in the back row. "We have a couple of new students. Stand."

Everyone turned around in their seats to watch Snape attempt to embarrass his fresh new prey. Kaze glanced over to her friend to see her reaction to the demand. The half-demon was locked in a stare with the man before her. Out of the corner of her eye, Reina could see Hermione making hand gestures for her to stand up. Next to her, Ron watched intently while Harry looked a bit pissed. Deciding it would be safer not to disobey, Reina stood up along with Kaze.

"I assume you know the rules which means you will do good to follow them." Snape said quite sternly. There was a short silence before he addressed the girls again. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. You've made it quite clear that you won't tolerate our rebellious teenage problems." Reina said with a slight tinge of sarcasm.

There was a round of laughter through the room. Snape silenced the class with a deadly glare, and then turned on Reina. "Another comment like that and you'll receive detention, Miss Krone." he hissed. "Sit down." The girls sat back in their seats. Snape turned on heel and returned to the front.

Kaze stared disbelieving at the half-demon. She tapped Reina's arm with the back of her hand. "And you tell me to watch my mouth." she whispered. Reina couldn't help but smile, especially when she saw the thumbs up Harry was giving her. Looking to the front, she caught sight of the girl from last night. When she looked back, Reina averted her gaze. It was then that Snape began talking again.

As the teacher went on, Reina's original bad feeling about him only worsened. Snape spoke of the dark arts as something he praised. And in the half-demon's perspective that wasn't a good sign. Eventually Snape had them to divide up and work on nonverbal spells.

Hermione seemed to be the first to successfully deflect one of Neville's hexes without saying a word. Both Reina and Kaze watched as Snape disregarded the girl's success. However he did pay notice to the purple haired girl's correct deflection of a hex thrown at her by her partner, Malfoy.

"Nicely done, Miss Sukue. Twenty points to Slytherin." Snape announced.

Some grumbling and some silent, the other students continued practicing. After deflecting a jinx from Kaze in silence, Reina watched her least-favorite-teacher-as-of-now pester Ron for not doing it right. Kaze had also stopped to become a spectator since she couldn't keep Reina from examining her cousin's work.

_"Protego!"_

Harry's strong Shield Charm knocked Snape back. The boy had reacted on instinct when Snape pulled his wand on him. The whole class was now aware of what was going on, and watched in silence.

"Do you remember me telling you we are practicing _nonverbal_ spells, Potter?" scowled Snape.

"Yes." replied Harry.

"Yes, _sir_."

"There's no need to call me 'sir', Professor."

A dose of Snape's fury and a detention later, Harry was being congratulated by Ron and their new acquaintances.

"You two have got some guts." said Ron to Harry and Reina.

"I'm surprised you got away with that, Reina. I thought for sure Snape would take points or give you a detention after what you said." Hermione said.

"I couldn't help it. That guy's a jackass." the half-demon said in response.

"Agreed."

"Harry!"

The group stopped to find who had called the Boy-Who-Lived. A boy ran over to them and handed Harry an envelope. They then continued on their way to the common room. Once there, the trio began discussing the letter Harry received from Dumbledore. Reina and Kaze went upstairs to start their homework. Reina didn't want loads for that night since she had Astronomy at midnight. Kaze wasn't too serious about her work during the break. She figured her work from her remaining classes that day would be easy. And she was most likely right. She was relatively good in Arithmancy and Muggle Studies would be a breeze since they lived like muggles. Either way, the day was not over with quite yet.

* * *

One more thing before I leave you. I promise to send a sneak-peek ofwhatever chpt the winner wishesto whoever can figure out what television show and the character that Kaze's cat is named for. Put your answer in a review and enjoy!


	9. Chapter 9

Kuro: Look who's back!

Kaze: Yes, I'm back. Sorry for the absence.

Kuro: Ok, I promised two chpts after our tests and here they are.

Kaze: Yes, so please enjoy and please review.

Kuro: We own nothing belonging to J.K. Rowling, but we applaud the excellent work she's done.

Kaze: Yep, now on with the story.

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 9

"Are you still doing our Ancient Runes homework?" asked Hermione. She was coming downstairs to rejoin Harry and Ron in the common room and saw Reina writing.

"No, I finished that a while ago." replied Reina. Moving her legs from under her, she shifted into a more comfortable position on the floor by the sofa. She leaned against the arm and continued writing,

Ron looked up from the chessboard between him and Harry. "Then what are you doing?"

"Writing." Reina stated without looking up.

"What are you writing?" Ron said trying to get more of an answer out of the girl.

"A letter."

"To who?"

"My father."

"Why didn't you just say that in the first place?"

"Didn't want to."

This time Reina did glance up at him with a grin. Ron rolled his eyes then went back to the chess game. Taking out her pocket watch, Reina glanced at the time. She put the watch away and quickly finished the letter. When she was done, the half-demon folded the parchment, addressed it, and stood up.

"I'll see you guys in Potions." she said heading to the portrait hole with her bag.

"Where are you going?" asked Harry.

"To see if I can catch Kaze before class." Reina opened the door and left the common room. Making sure no one was going to follow her out, she walked in the opposite direction of the Muggle Studies classroom.

* * *

The door to the Owlery was pushed open and the half-demon scurried in. Going to one of the windows, she looked out over the grounds. She could see several people hanging out below her. It was a beautiful day so that was to be expected. Reina rubbed her fingertip over one of her rings. The stone of the ring glowed red resembling the eyes of the raven she was calling. When the light died away, Reina leaned on the windowsill with her arms and watched the tiny figures below.

Not long after the call, Reina could see a black dot in the sky growing bigger as it got closer. Within seconds the bird was landing on the half-demon's forearm.

"Hello, Mayoke." said Reina as she stroked the raven's feathery body. "Have you been a good boy and stayed near the castle?" The bird let out a soft caw. "That's good. Now, I need you to take a letter to Darikk through the Shadow Realm. Can you do that?"

Once again Mayoke cawed at his master. He took the letter from Reina's hand in his beak. The half-demon put her right hand flat against the stone wall. Focusing on the wall, she began to use her power to pull the shadows in the room into one spot. The stone under her hand turned black, continuing to grow until it was a foot in diameter. Reina stepped away from the small gateway to Shadow Realm. Without being told, Mayoke quickly flew into the hole and disappeared.

"Reina! Are you up here?"

The half-demon lost her concentration causing the gateway to close. She turned to the doorway leading to the outside steps. Harry entered the Owlery a second after the black hole disappeared.

"Here you are." he said. "We ran into Kaze in the hall, and she said she hadn't seen you."

Reina let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Sorry. My bird wasn't here so I had to wait for him."

"Well, we need to get going." Harry told her.

"Okay." Grabbing her bag, Reina followed Harry down the steps and to the dungeons.

"We're here." Harry called out to his friends when they reached the dungeon for their Potions class.

The newly appointed N.E.W.T. students were waiting outside of the room to be let in. As soon as Harry reached Ron and Hermione, another boy ran up to them. By the colors of parts of his uniform, Reina deduced that he was from Hufflepuff. The half-demon decided to stay out of the conversation. Besides the four Gryffindors and a Hufflepuff, there were four Ravenclaws and five Slytherins, one of which was separated from the group. Instead of remaining with her fellow Slytherins, the girl walked over to Reina.

"Reina Krone, isn't it?"

The half-demon stared at the student with purple hair and eyes. She really stood out from the crowd, and not just because of her unnatural hair color. Although she wore the required uniform, she had added combat boots and fishnet stockings to it. Her amethyst hair was pulled back, revealing a tattoo of three kanji symbols down the side of her neck. Since her sleeve was pushed up, Reina also noticed a tattoo of what looked like barbed wire going up her right arm. And to add to all of this the girl had multiple ear piercings, a lip ring, and an assortment of pendants, bracelets, and wristbands.

"Uh, yeah. And your name is?"

"Sukue. Kiku Sukue."

Out of the corner of her eye, Reina saw the rest of the Slytherins watching her and Kiku closely. "Nice to meet you." she said, ignoring the many eyeballs glued to them.

"Likewise."

Before the two girls could continue their conversation, the door to the classroom opened and Professor Slughorn walked into the hall. After glancing over the students he ushered them inside. Everyone quickly took his or her seats. Ravenclaws sat at one table, Slytherins at another. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat near a very fragrant cauldron. Ernie Macmillan, the lone Hufflepuff, joined them. This left Reina to take a table in the back by herself. But to her surprise, Kiku put her stuff on the table and sat down next to her. This earned stares from almost everyone in the room since it was uncommon for friendships between Gryffindor and Slytherin.

Reina soon grew annoyed by the stares. She got enough of those in her own village, she didn't need them her, too. Not caring what everyone else thought, she glared back at a few people who immediately looked away.

"Now then, now then, now then," said Slughorn from the front of the room. "Scales out, everyone, and potion kits, and don't forget your copies of Advanced Potion-Making."

There was bustling around the room as everyone took out their needed materials. Harry informed Professor Slughorn that he and Ron did not have their things. Slughorn got the boys some old scales and textbooks. After the students were ready, the teacher positioned himself at the front once again.

"Now then," he began. "We are going to review a few potions that you will need to know for your N.E.W.T's."

As Slughorn pointed out the cauldrons placed around the room, Hermione correctly identified each one earning twenty points for Gryffindors. Next to the Slytherin table was a cauldron filled with Veritaserum, a colorless and odorless potion that forces the drinker to tell the truth. Near the Ravenclaws was a potion that the Gryffindor trio was quite familiar with, Polyjuice Potion. The liquid by Harry and the gang was the powerful love potion Amortentia. And lastly, Felix Felicis sat in a small cauldron on Slughorn's desk. A small bottle of this golden luck was the prize for the best Draught of Living Death.

Throughout the class, Slughorn walked around the room examining everyone's progress. At some he gave an approving nod, and at others his lip curled up in disappointment.

"How do you like Hogwarts so far?" Kiku asked after Slughorn passed her.

"It's cool," replied Reina. She glanced over to the table to their left where Hermione seemed to be frustrated, but Harry looked pleased. "The teachers seem nice with the exception of Snape."

"Yeah, he's strict, but he's a good teacher."

"I guess." Keeping her eyes on the potion-in-progress before her, Reina asked, "Do you happen to know why Draco Malfoy is glaring daggers at us?"

Kiku looked up from her work. Indeed, Draco was paying more attention to her than his potion. The girl cut him a dirty look. Something flickered in Draco's eyes before he turned back around. If someone had looked closely, they would have recognized it as nervousness and fear.

"He's just pissed that I'm over here and not with his group," answered Kiku.

"Because I'm a Gryffindor?" Kiku nodded. "I don't understand what the big deal is. It's not like we're conspiring against the school." Reina said as she cut up some ingredients.

Kiku knew the other girl was being serious, but she couldn't help stifle the snicker that escaped. It was amusing how little Reina knew about Hogwarts. "Let's just say that our houses have never really…gotten along." She left it at that which Reina was content with.

As the class progressed, Reina and Kiku continued talking and getting to know each other. Every now and then there would be a pair of stray eyes watching the girls, but they ignored them. However, it wasn't just the students. Slughorn studied them closely as he walked around the room. _'Strange.'_ he thought.

"Time's up!" Slughorn announced. There was only five minutes left of class when everyone was told to stop. A few people hurried to do more to their potions, but it didn't help much. Some potions were fairly decent, a dark purple instead of the light lavender it was suppose to be. Ernie's concoction, for some unknown reason, was bubbling. No one seemed to have nailed it, not even Hermione. That is until it came to Harry's potion.

"We have a winner!" said Slughorn. "My boy, you have inherited your mother's talent. Here you go." He handed the small bottle of Felix Felicis to Harry.

Reina looked into her own cauldron then Kiku's. "We were close." she said with a smirk.

When Reina turned away from the table, Kiku ran a hand over her cauldron. The dark colored liquid lightened to lavender in the blink of an eye. With a smirk of her own, Kiku stood aside so Slughorn could judge her attempt at brewing Draught of Living Death.

"Ah! We now have two winners." said Slughorn cautiously. He did remember Snape saying Kiku Sukue was one of his best students. But he could've sworn he saw dark purple in her cauldron not a minute before. He went to his desk, got out another vial, and filled it with Felix Felicis. He then gave it to Kiku. There was a distant ring echoing down to the dungeons. Slughorn waved his wand and all of the cauldrons' contents disappeared. "You are dismissed."

Once outside, Reina turned to Kiku. "How did you do that?" she asked. The half-demon was confused at how Kiku was able to correct her potion in a matter of seconds.

"Do what?" Kiku said innocently. She heard her name being called from up ahead. "I'll catch you later." She then ran down the hall and caught up with the other Slytherins.

"That girl's mental." said Ron as he and the others came up behind Reina.

"What are you talking about? She is really nice." The half-demon said.

"Nice? Look at her! Someone who's a Slytherin, dresses like that, and can scare Malfoy is not nice in my book."

"But you don't like Malfoy. Shouldn't it be a good thing that she scares him?" Reina retorted frowning. It wasn't right for Ron or anyone else to judge people just on how they look. She knew from personal experience how much pain that can cause.

"Just forget about it, Ron." Harry whispered to his friend. He noticed the painful and angry expression on the girl's face that showed this issue was bothering her.

When they arrived back at the common room, Kaze greeted them from the sofa. The wind demon was already finished with her homework, so she enjoyed laughing at the others doing theirs. She soon became bored with that and started playing with Fireball. Hermione was the first to finish, which was no surprise to anyone. She took out her Ancient Runes textbook so she could replace it with The Standard Book of Spells. When she did this, a piece of parchment fell out of the thick book. Before Hermione could reach for it, Ron grabbed it up from the table.

"Oh! What's this? A note?" the redhead teased.

"Ronald, give it back!" Hermione reached out for the note, but Ron moved it away from her.

"Thank you." said Harry when he plucked the parchment from Ron's hand. He handed it back to Hermione who thanked him, but Ron wasn't giving up. He pestered the girl for several minutes until she finally cracked.

"Alright!" she exclaimed. Before saying anything else, Hermione turned in her seat to look at the girl in one of the armchairs. She scooted back around and whispered, "It's from Reina." With another glance to make sure Reina wasn't watching, Hermione gave the note to Harry. He unfolded it and read.

Near the top of the parchment, in small, neat handwriting, was written something about the next lesson for Ancient Runes. Then, in Hermione's handwriting, was a reply. The next question from Reina was an unusual one that caught Harry off guard. He saw that there was no reply to this one and looked up to Hermione.

"What did you tell her?" he asked as Ron took the paper from him.

"Nothing. I didn't get the chance to. The bell rang and she said nothing about it for the rest of the day." replied Hermione.

Ron took a short breath and read the last line aloud. " 'Don't take this the wrong way, but what is Harry Potter like?'" He looked at his best friend quizzically. "Why would she want to know that? I know you're famous and all, but that's still strange."

Harry had to agree with this, it was strange. His emerald eyes wandered over to Reina. She was curled up in the armchair, an open book resting on her thighs. There was a quill in her hand, but it wasn't moving. When she moved her head slightly, the hair that escaped the braid fell away from her eyes, which happened to be closed. Harry then realized that she was asleep.

His lips curled into a smile. "So much for making Ron apologize." he said. Ron perked up at his name.

"What are you talking about?" asked Hermione. Harry gestured to the slumbering half-demon. "She was the last one to wake up this morning. How can she be tired?"

"She didn't get to sleep until two."

The trio turned their heads to the on who had spoken. Kaze pulled up a chair to the end of the table and sat down. "She's a night owl, and is not quite used to the new schedule yet." she continued. Hermione nodded her head in understanding.

"Why do I need to apologize?" Ron blurted out.

"Because of earlier, after Potions class." said Harry. "It was beginning to upset her." This quieted Ron for the moment. Since she didn't have Potions, Kaze was confused as to what they were talking about. She asked what happened and Harry explained. Afterwards he asked, "Do you know what was bothering her?"

Kaze sighed. "I might." She paused long enough to review the cover-ups she and Reina had come up with. "Reina has had a bit of a rough life. The majority of our village does not accept her. So, I would assume that she is trying to make a better life for herself here at Hogwarts. When Ron criticized this Sukue, she thought it was wrong of you to do so. Reina has lived through that criticism all of her life. She is just tired of it."

After Kaze's explanation, Ron was feeling pretty guilty. The wind demon could see this guilt written all over his face. "It's okay. There was no was for you to know that."

"Why is she unaccepted by your village?" Harry questioned. He was curious to know. Kaze's story seemed vaguely familiar to his own childhood.

"I would suggest you ask Reina about that. She might become angry with me for only telling you as much as I have. That girl is secretive and I don't want to over step my boundaries." Kaze told him.

"I understand. Thanks."

"No problem. Now, how about some dinner?"

The trio agreed and put away their things. As Kaze was climbing out of the portrait hole, Harry asked, "What about Reina?"

"She'll come down when she wakes." said Kaze before completely disappearing out of the room. Taking her word for it, the others followed.

Sure enough, Reina came marching into the Great Hall twenty minutes after her friends. When she first sat down next to Kaze, the trio gave her strange looks then went back to their dinner. Reina beat away her curiosity and enjoyed her dinner. After they ate, the group left the Great Hall, meeting Seamus and Neville outside. They all walked back up to the Gryffindor tower. Once there, Reina ran up to her room and came back down heading for the portrait hole.

"Going to visit Hagrid?" asked Kaze when her friend passed right by her.

Reina had changed out of her school uniform and into a pair of black jeans and a purple tank top. She threw on her cloak as she walked to the exit. "Yes. If anyone asks, tell them I went for a walk."

Distracted by the Daily Prophet she was reading, Kaze only waved the half-demon's departure off of her mind. About five minutes later, the famous trio came down to the common room. Kaze paid no attention to them at first.

Harry looked around the room. When he didn't see whom he was searching for, he asked, "Where's Reina?"

From behind the newspaper came the reply, "I don't know."


	10. Chapter 10

Kuro: (sucks on a jolly rancher sucker)

Kaze: (grabs the sucker out of the bat's mouth) Hey, we have an A/N to do.

Kuro: (kanoshii kao(sad face)) Oh, alright.

Kaze: Ok guys, here's the next chapter that was promised.

Kuro: Hope you enjoy. And don't forget to review.

Kaze: Yes, please review.

Kuro: Onto the chapter!

-Review Responses-

Thank you to all of you who reviewed. And in regards to the challenge at the end of chapter 8, Nightmare Rose and Cherie were the winners. If you are one of these two people, please put in a review what chpt you would like a sneak peek of. As of now I only have up to chpt 11 written, but I do plan on having chpt 12 done at the end of this week.

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 10

The rest of the first week went by smooth enough. Although just in that one week, the sixth years realized it was going to be a rough year. However, Harry was beginning to like Potions more with the help of the Half-Blood Prince.

"What are these things again?" asked Kaze as she looked at the strange horse-like animal in front of her.

The two demons and Kiku were working together in Care of Magical Creatures. There weren't many people taking the class, ten at the most. The agenda for today was to split up into groups and study the creatures assigned to them.

"They're kelpies." Reina said. She was taking notes as Kiku called out the characteristics of the creatures.

The class was down by the lake where the kelpies' habitat was. There were four groups and a kelpie for each. Reina's notes included the obvious such as their abilities to change form, the cattails, and the reed manes. She also wrote down things she could remember from Magical Creatures and Where to Find Them.

Kaze walked behind Reina who was sitting on the grass. Looking over the other girl's shoulder, she read what was written down. "I see you've learned to write bigger."

The half-demon frowned. "I had no choice after Snape made me rewrite my essay on nonverbal spells. It's not my fault his age is taking a toll on his vision."

"Don't let Snape hear you say that." Kiku walked over to them once she was done examining the kelpie. She watched her two new friends with a curious eye. After a few minutes she spoke up again. "So, what kind of demons are you?" she said with a smirk. The girl's reactions to the questions were quite amusing to Kiku. Reina grabbed a lock of her hair and frantically looked at the strands that were still brown. Kaze's hand instinctively shot up to her ear, which was rounded at the tip.

"Don't worry. No one else can see through the spell." Kiku assured them.

Reina dropped her notebook on the ground and stood up. "How?" From the angle at which she was standing, the half-demon could see the tattoo on Kiku's neck more clearly than before. Vertically in Japanese kanji were the words "Water Demon". "You're a water demon?" Kiku nodded still wearing that smirk. "That must have been what the Sorting Hat was talking about!"

"The Sorting Hat? What the hell is going on?" exclaimed Kaze. Her small outburst caused the next group over to glance wearily at them.

" _'More immortal blood to judge'_ is what it said. That means there was another demon sorted before us." Reina explained softly. She turned her attention to Kiku. "How can you see through the spell and we can't?"

"I'm not using a spell, I use illusions. That's how I am bale to hide my demonic traits, and see through the concealing spell." Said Kiku. "So, are you going to answer my question or not?"

Both Reina and Kaze looked skeptical. This was not what they were expecting. On the one hand they were relieved to know they weren't the only ones. Kiku had been at Hogwarts for five years so she could be a big help. But could they trust her? They had only known her for a week.

"I can't find anything that implies harm to us." Kaze stated after reading Kiku's thoughts.

"You're a telepath? Cool." said Kiku. "And I would guess that you are also a wind demon by the mark on your chest."

"Yes."

"What about you, Reina? I can't seem to figure out what race of demon you are. Other than your raven tattoos, which I doubt are demonic, you have no other markings."

Reina was silent. The alleged water demon must have been very observant. Not wanting people to pay extra attention to her, Reina had taken precautions to hide her tattoos. _'I guess I can stop doing that.'_ she thought. She looked hard at Kiku who had ditched the smirk for a friendly smile.

"I guess we can trust you," she said at long last.

"Good. Now, you are a…"

"Shadow demon."

"Really?" Kiku said slowly. "Then where is the symbol that's suppose to be on your forehead?" She pushed Reina on the forehead with her index finger. This made it a bit difficult for the shadow demon to keep a straight face.

"Hey, let me try that!"

Kaze hopped in front of Reina and looked up at her. She poked the girl's forehead like Kiku had done. This time Reina wasn't amused, and it showed. "Nice work, Kiku. I think you have just found a new way to entertain ourselves and annoy Rei at the same time."

"Enough!" Reina pushed the wind demon's hand away. Her face became serious again. "It's not there because I'm…I'm a half-demon." There was an awkward silence for a moment. Reina's eyes were downcast as she awaited the usual snide remarks that came along with the knowledge of her identity.

Kiku's reaction was unexpected. "Cool." It took a few seconds for the remark to register. When it did, Reina stared at the water demon dumbfounded. Even Kaze was a bit surprised at the lack of disapproval.

"That's it?"

"Nani?" Kiku said from the water's edge.

"No insults?" asked the half-demon.

Kiku looked over her shoulder at the girl. "No insults." she said sternly. "I wasn't brought up to hate half-demons, Reina. You're the first hybrid I've ever seen."

"Your parents must be very understanding," said Kaze crossing her arms and sitting next to Kiku.

"Yes. I wish we had more of those in our village." Reina sighed. She didn't sit down, but she did walk to the edge of the lake.

The water was calm, gleaming under the beating sun. Its serenity was disturbed when Kiku held her hand over the surface. A strip of water lifted itself from the lake and began dancing in mid air. While the solid-like form wiggled around, it was sliced in half by a sharp force of wind. The two halves kept dancing for a minute. When nothing else happened to it, the wind and water demon glanced to their left.

Reina was staring at her reflection in the clear water, her eyes looking beyond the surface. The face that looked back at her was a stranger's. This form was not her own, no matter how much she wished it were. Suddenly, the person in the water faded and was replaced by the Reina who was known in her village. If Kiku hadn't informed them of the illusions this would have scared her. But Reina knew the change in her reflection was the water demon's doing.

"This probably won't help the mood, but my parents aren't demons." Kiku said. "I'll explain later." she added after seeing the curious looks.

The three girls turned to the giant approaching them. Hagrid stopped next to each group to check their progress, and was pleased with them all. "How are things o'er 'ere?" he asked when he reached the last group.

"Fine, Hagrid…I mean Professor Hagrid." replied Reina smiling. Hagrid chuckled.

"Tha's nice. If you're finished then…" He ushered their kelpie back into the water. "You can leave." The girls collected their things and started walking back to the castle. "Reina,"

The half-demon stopped to look back at Hagrid. He motioned for her to come to his side. "Go on without me. I'll meet you in the Great Hall." she told Kaze and Kiku. They nodded and went on to lunch. Reina took the few steps back to the half-giant. "Yes, Hagrid?"

"I don't mean to hold ye up, but would you mind comin' by the hut tomorrow nigh'? Fang knocked over a cage of fairies this mornin' and they flew into the forest. I though tha' since you're a…uh…" Hagrid looked around at the few students still by the lake. "Well, you know."

"You want me to help you find them?" asked Reina smiling. "I'd be happy to help. I'll stop by after dinner." They agreed and then the half-demon left for lunch.

Later that day in Transfiguration, McGonagall and the class were entertained by a small contest between wind and water. Kaze and Kiku had somehow gotten into a challenge to see who could do the most difficult animal transfigurations. McGonagall stopped the childish game so there was no winner. However, Reina was convinced it would have been Kiku. Illusions swirled with Transfiguration makes a remarkable result. When the show was over, everyone went back to his or her work, changing one animal into another.

Towards the end of class most people understood the material and had either succeeded or came very close to it. Those who didn't ended up with extra practice for homework. During the last attempt for this class, McGonagall got a big surprise.

"Mr.Finnigan! What happened?" exclaimed McGonagall at the sight of the boy's animal.

"I don't know. I said the spell right." Seamus said with uncertainty. "But I was thinking about a nice juicy steak."

The whole class was now laughing at the black and white cow that stood where Seamus's bird had been. The farm animal mooed at them. McGonagall walked over to it and pulled out her wand. The cow sounded one last moo before becoming a robin again.

"That's enough excitement. Class dismissed." announced McGonagall. She returned to her desk then glanced at the retreating students. "Miss Krone, please stay."

Reina stopped in the doorway and sighed. "Again?" she mumbled. Once again she told the others to go without her. She approached McGonagall's desk quickly. "Yes, Professor?"

The witch picked up a folded piece of parchment and handed it to Reina. "This is from Professor Dumbledore."

"Thank you, ma'am." Reina took the paper and waited for a moment. When McGonagall remained silent she asked, "Is that all?"

"Yes. You may go."

Reina left the classroom in a rush. Once she was in an empty corridor, she opened the letter from Dumbledore and read it as she walked.

_Reina,_

_I wish to speak with you about your first week of classes. Please come to my office tomorrow night after dinner._

_Albus Dumbledore_

"Tomorrow night?" groaned the half-demon.

"Excuse me." said the fat lady in the portrait.

"Oh, sorry. Petrificus totalus." The door swung open and Reina climbed through thinking of how she could use that spell on the boys in her village. Before taking two steps into the common room, the half-demon was nearly tackled by an aggravated Hermione. Without saying a word, she grabbed Reina's wrist and dragged her to the table in the corner.

Dark eyes darted to the closest person, which happened to be Harry. "She's having homework troubles." he explained. The boy laughed as Hermione begged Reina to help her with their Ancient Runes homework. Once the bushy-haired girl understood, Reina took up more comfortable position on the vacant end of the sofa. She looked to the other end where Harry sat.

"Harry," Reina said. The boy gave her his attention. "What was the password to Dumbledore's office?"

"Acid pops." replied Harry. "Why do you need it?"

Moving her hair out of her eyes, Reina said, "I have to meet with him tomorrow."

* * *

Tomorrow came slowly since the shadow demon was up all night, but the day went by quickly because she slept through it. By the time she got up it was past two in the afternoon. Grateful that Kaze had let her sleep, Reina got dressed and headed downstairs. The common room was empty besides a few fifth years playing poker. They worriedly looked up from their game when they heard someone coming up from behind. When the boys realized who it was, they smiled and went back to their game. 

Reina walked over to the boys' little circle and bent over to view one of their hands. After a moment of contemplation, she whispered something into the boy's ear. A grin crept onto his face.

"Hold." he said. His friends' winning smiles faltered. They grudgingly threw their cards to the floor after seeing the first boy's hand. The winner laughed and turned to his helper. "Thanks. You want to play the next round…uh?"

"Reina, and maybe later."

She met up with Kiku and Kaze in the grounds. The demon trio joined the famous trio not long after that. They hung out until dinner when Kiku split to sit with her own house.

"So, when did you get to bed?" Kaze asked sounding uninterested.

"Dawn."

Ron stared at Reina in disbelief. "You're mental."

"I know." replied the half-demon smiling sweetly. The group got a small laugh out of that.

"What is that?" Hermione said interrupting the conversation. She gestured to something black that had just flown into the Great Hall. "The mail ran this morning."

"That would be the night owl's night owl." said Kaze as they watched the raven fly in. It swooped down to the Gryffindor table and landed in front of the half-demon.

Reina stroked the bird gently. As the raven looked up at her, she could see in its eyes what he wanted. She took the envelope from his leg. "Thank you, Mayoke. You may go eat after you give this to Hagrid." Reina pulled a small paper from her jeans' pocket and let Mayoke take it in his mouth. Spreading his wings, the raven took off again.

"That's your bird?"

"Yes, his name's Mayoke." replied Reina as she ripped the envelope open. After reading through the letter she sighed in relief then frowned as she kept reading. "This sucks. He still won't tell me what this trip's about." she groaned.

"Who?" asked Harry.

"My father. He's traveling but refuses to tell me where or why."

When the half-demon looked up from the letter, she noticed that most of the people were leaving or had left the Great Hall. A quick glance at the staff table showed that some of the teachers were gone as well, including Dumbledore.

"I've got to go. See you guys later."

Kiku watched as Reina rushed out of the hall with her cloak in tow. _'Must be going to see Dumbledore.'_ she thought. Thinking no more of it, she finished up her dinner and left.

"Sukue!"

The water demon turned to see who had called her. Walking at a quick pace towards her down the hall was Draco Malfoy.

"I'm not in the mood to talk, Draco." Kiku began walking again. She didn't get very far before Draco caught up with her. He stood in her way so she had no choice but to stop.

Crossing his arms he said, "Where were you today?"

"Around."

"You were with the new kids and Potter, weren't you?"

Kiku crossed her arms as well, the many charms clinking when she moved. "So what if I was? I can hang out with whomever I want to."

"You'll stay away from them if you know what's good for you." said Draco in a nasty tone. His intimidation tactics may work on his other housemates, but they were useless against the water demon.

As the Slytherin buy turned to leave, Kiku stuck her tongue out at his back. "Prick." she muttered then walked away.

* * *

Reina had reached the phoenix statue and now stood in front of it in a deserted hallway. She said the password and, while waiting for the stairs to unravel, quickly shrunk her cloak so it wouldn't be a nuisance. Once the stairwell was still, she went up and knocked on the door. "Come in!" With a quick glance behind her, Reina entered the office. 

"Welcome, Miss Krone." Dumbledore greeted. "I'm glad you were able to come."

"It wasn't a problem, sir." replied the half-demon.

Dumbledore gently smiled at her. The two of them sat down on opposite sides of the desk. "I'll try not to keep you long since you have an appointment to help Hagrid and Mr. Potter will be here later." The old wizard leaned back in his chair, looking over the rim of his spectacles. "So, how was the first week of classes?"

"Quite interesting. Not that Professor McGonagall isn't a good teacher, but it is nice to have a different teacher for each subject."

"I know what you mean." said the wizard smiling. "And Professor Mikers tells me that you show great promise in future with ancient runes."

The half-demon blushed a light pink. "Thank you, sir. I do enjoy the subject a lot." They grew quiet after this. Eventually Reina broke the silence. "Sir, would you mind if I removed the concealment spell while I'm here?" Her answer was Dumbledore's wand being pointed at her. The Headmaster spoke the counter spell and Reina's demonic traits returned. "Thank you." she said with a small sigh.

Dumbledore studied the girl's face for a moment as though there was something wrong. "Are you feeling ill?" he asked at last. The half-demon appeared to be a bit off to Dumbledore.

"No, sir." Reina replied. Then she thought it over. It wouldn't be wise to keep things from him, especially if he could help. "But I do feel worn out."

"Do you feel like this every time you remove the spell?"

"Only recently."

"Does Miss Soran feel the same?"

"I don't think so." said Reina, confused at why her weariness was so important. "But I think I know why I'm so tired. I haven't been meditating like I used to. I'm sure that's it."

The wizard put his fingertips together in thought. "It could be. Try to find some time every day to relax." Reina nodded. "And I'm going to ere on the side of caution. I'll inform Madam Pomfrey of your situation."

_'Being a half-breed sucks.'_ Reina thought to herself. Getting over her momentary self-hatred, she looked back to Dumbledore. "I'll tell Kaze about it later."

"Could you do me a favor and tell Miss Sukue as well? She has done fine over the past five years, but better safe than sorry."

Reina nodded, the statement not quite registering. When it did, she stared wide-eyed at the Headmaster. "You know?" The wizard' head tilted forward a bit and then back. With a sigh the girl said, "And here I thought we all had good disguises. Guess not. So, can you see through Kiku's illusions?" Reina sat up straight in her chair.

"With a little concentration I can see through the illusions." replied Dumbledore. "I had my suspicions that there was something different about her when she first came here. After I saw Miss Sukue's true appearance, I spoke with her parents. They did admit that Kiku was a demon."

"Kiku told us that her parents aren't demons." stated Reina, curiosity swimming in her lavender eyes.

"Yes, they are humans, a wizarding family. They found Kiku when she was just a baby and took her in, raising her as their own." Dumbledore explained. He waited for a reply from Reina, but instead he saw the confliction in her face. "Is there something you wish to ask me?"

This caught the half-demon's attention. She searched in her jeans pocket and pulled out the letter she had received from Darikk. "I asked my father about this journey before he left and in the letter I sent him. He refused to tell me during summer and still won't say anything about it now. All it says in his letter is that he won't be back for a while." Reina looked up from the letter to Dumbledore. "I wanted to know if eh told you about it."

The wizard's eyes traveled to the top drawer of his desk. Inside was the letter he received from Darikk that morning, and it contained the answer that Reina was searching for. But there was also a plea not to tell the young woman. Dumbledore intended to honor that request. He looked back to the anxious girl before him.

"I'm sorry, but he didn't give me any specifics about his destination." he said.

At those words, Reina let out the breath she'd been holding. The only thing Dumbledore's supposed lack of knowledge did for her was make her worry more. Darikk was the only thing she had left in the world. But what about Harry? If Reina could build up enough courage to confess she would have him, too. However, that would only happen if Harry accepted her for what she was. There was the possibility that he'd hate her for it.

_'I'll never know until I try. But not now.'_ she thought. "I see. Thank you anyways, sir."

Guilt rose up in the man's throat. Dumbledore was an honest man, and lying to Reina was worse than lying to a fellow Headmaster. He could see the sadness in her eyes, but couldn't do much to help.

"Reina," he said. "I may not be able to tell you where you father it, but I can assure you that he is in not direct danger." Just his simple assurance helped the half-demon sort out her fears. Reina was about to thank him when there was a knock at the door. "That must be Harry." Dumbledore stood along with Reina. "Now, if you have any questions feel free to talk to me or Professor McGonagall." Reina nodded. She turned to leave and made it to the door before Dumbledore stopped her.

"Wait," He walked over to her. "Take this. It's a pass allowing you to roam the school after curfew, incase you have difficulty sleeping. As you can see, I've done my homework as well."

"Thank you, sir." Reina took the pass and did the spell to hide her looks. She opened the door to find Harry standing outside. Before she could walk out of the office, Dumbledore gently grabbed her shoulder and leaned closer to her ear.

"I suggest you two get to know each other better." he whispered then let go of the girl. Reina smiled and left Harry and Dumbledore to their work.


	11. Chapter 11

Kuro: We're back!

Kaze: Yes, we are.

Kuro: Only six more days of school. Hehehe.

Kaze: Yup, but we're afraid updates will be a bit slow after chpt 12 next week.

Kuro: Sadly yes. Along with the end of school comes my last days here. I'll be in the process of moving. So for at least 3 weeks (only an estimate) I won't be able to update.

Kaze: Yeah, but Kuronue will be writing the next few chapters until she has access to a computer.

Kuro: That is correct. So plez bear with me. Now, onto the next chpt!

Kaze: Remeber we own nothing but outselves and our pets and review.

Kuro: Doomo!

Review Response:

Nightmare Rose- To answer your question...Hell yes! Kiku will definitely kick Draco's ass. She wouldn't be the bad kid if she didn't.

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 11

"Reina, get your ass down here this instant!" Kaze yelled from their bedroom window. She had attempted to wake the half-demon before breakfast, but to no avail. The morning meal was over and Kaze had come back to find Reina's bed empty. After some cursing at the missing demon, she went to the window and opened it. Now she stood waiting for a reply to her call.

Ever since Dumbledore had given her the pass to stay out after hours, Reina had been taking full advantage of it. Through the week she'd be out until about midnight. And on the weekend she didn't get to bed until right before dawn. However, she did manage to find time to catch some Z's during class. This extra time allowed Reina to examine the castle in more detail. And from that came new hiding places, her most recent one being the roof.

Kaze leaned over the windowsill again only to jump back when an upside down Reina swung down from the railing above. "What?" she asked.

"Get down from there. We have to meet everyone at the Quidditch pitch."

"Oh, yeah. Harry is holding tryouts today." Reina said after she climbed back into the room. After a quick glance in the mirror, she bolted out the door.

"Reina!" The wind demon ran after her, barely catching her before she reached the stairs. "The spell! Use the spell!" Coming to a halt, Reina pulled out her wand and quickly muttered the spell. Once her appearance was human she continued to run across the common room. "Baka," Kaze mumbled before taking off after her friend.

By the time the girls arrived at the pitch, every hopeful applicant was gathered around Harry in front of the stands. There were also some spectators sitting in the stands. Reina and Kaze spotted Hermione towards the front. They greeted the girl then sat on the bench behind her.

"Under these stands is a good place to hide form people. It's also nice and cool under there." Reina randomly commented.

Kaze stared at her curiously and then with a sly grin, "I thought that pass of your only allowed you to wander the school at night, not the Quidditch stadium."

"The grounds are technically part of the school. So, I have done nothing wrong, you see." Reina said sweetly, acting like an innocent little angel.

The wind demon burst out laughing at the false innocent in Reina's expression. This made the half-demon lose her composure and start laughing, too. Hermione looked over her shoulder at the two. She noticed that she wasn't the only one. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil we're staring from farther back. When she returned her attention back to the tryouts, Hermione saw that Harry was sparing them a wondering glance. Hermione shrugged her shoulders and the boy nodded before looking back to the field.

Once they had settles down, Reina went back to watching the strange game. But Kaze's ears picked up on something more interesting in her opinion. With them not being too far away, she could her the conversation going on between Lavender and Parvati.

"There goes your man." Parvati giggled.

"Shush, Parvati." protested Lavender who was also giggling.

Kaze switched her gaze from her knees to the person walking onto the field. It was Ron. She held back the urge to laugh, but a snicker still managed to escape. Even though it was soft, the half-demon heard it. She glanced at Kaze out of the corner of her eye. The wind demon's focus was set on her shoes, and Reina knew her well enough to know what she was doing.

"What do you think you're doing, shorty?"

"Oi!" That seemed to extract Kaze from her concentration. "Don't call me that!"

"I won't call you that if you'd quit eavesdropping." Reina scolded. When Kaze didn't protest, she added in a whisper, "And no telepathy either." This time the wind demon did frown. She crossed her arms and did nothing but watch until the tryouts were over.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day?" asked Harry when they were all together outside the changing rooms.

"I've got a paper to work on, so I'll see you guys later." Kaze sighed. Before she left she walked over to Reina who was looking at a book Ron was showing her.

"Rei?"

"What?" The half-demon's head raised up a bit to look at the other girl. Kaze quickly jabbed a finger at Reina's forehead then ran back to the castle as though Hell's fire was under her feet. "You're dead, Soran!" Reina yelled after the wind demon. "That shrimp has a death wish."

"Other than killing Kaze, what are your plans?" asked Ron as he took his Quidditch Through the Ages back from Reina.

"Nothing much. I'm meeting Kiku later and then I have a poker game scheduled for after dinner with a few fifth years." Reina replied. She then added an assurance that they weren't playing for money when she saw Hermione's expression. "What are you guys up to?"

The four Gryffindors walked off the Quidditch pitch. 'We're going to visit Hagrid. I think he's mad at us for not taking his class this year." said Harry.

"He did mention something about you three. But I don't think he's mad at you, just a bit disappointed. Plus, a close friend of his isn't doing so well. He's upset about that as well."

Harry listened to the girl's explanation and realized that she must be close to Hagrid in order to know all of this. He started to ask about Reina's relationship to the gamekeeper, but decided against it. There were a few other things Harry wanted to discuss with his new friend later.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Harry tried many times to catch Reina alone but never could. Half of the time he was busy or surrounded by his friends, and the other half was when Reina was in that position. Sometimes Harry would stay up late for a chance to catch his target, but she was nowhere to be found. Before he could talk with the half-demon, their first trip to Hogsmeade had crept up on them. Harry decided to give up and hope the opportunity would show itself soon.

The morning of the trip, the trio and Kaze were in the Great Hall eating breakfast when Reina came running in. She quickly reached them at the Gryffindor table and was barely able to stop before crashing into Neville. After apologizing to the startled boy, Reina fell into her spot on the bench. Her usual morning tea appeared when she knocked on the table and the half-demon grabbed it before the cup hit the table.

"Oh, no you don't!" Kaze swiped the tea out of the taller girl's hands before she could take a sip. "How much sugar have you had?"

Reina frowned. "First of all, that is green tea not sweet tea, so give it back." She took her cup back and drank some of its contents before finishing. "Secondly, my hyperactivity and/or cheeriness is only partially due to sugar thanks to Harry."

The wind demon glared at the boy across the table. Harry and Ron were both laughing at the fidgety half-demon, ignoring the dirty looks from Kaze. "How much sugar did you give her?" she asked.

"Just one chocolate frog." replied Harry. He, Ron, and even Hermione started laughing again when Reina gave the unsuspecting Kaze bunny ears, long and fuzzy white rabbit ears. The laughter got louder after one of them moved on its own.

"Reina, get these damn thing off me." Kaze hissed.

"Oh, alright." Reina said the spell and the ears vanished. "It was just payback for the poking."

Kaze sighed exasperated. "You see this is the reason we don't give her sugar." She sent a warning look at the two boys who she was sure would give Reina tons of sugar just for kicks.

"Don't treat me like a zoo animal. They can feed me if they want." the half-demon retorted. She finished her tea and then looked over to the Slytherin table. "I'll be right back." With that she got up to switch to another bench, which just so happened to be located at the Slytherin table.

"Ohayoo, Kiku-chan!"

"Ohayoo." the water demon replied in greeting. Reina and Kaze had been happy to find out that Kiku also knew Japanese. This made for good secret conversations, which also earned them a few stares.

Before Reina could say anything more, a certain blond head turned her way and spoke. "You are not welcome to sit here, Krone." Draco's unnecessarily loud announcement of the Gryffindor's arrival draw a few more unwanted pairs of ears.

"I have no intention to sit." Reina said leaning on the table with her arms. At first the half-demon had given Draco a chance, but it was soon clear t her that he was exactly like the boys back in her village. "Anyways, I found something last night that you might like."

"Cool. What is it?" Kiku said putting her copy of the _Daily Prophet_ down.

Reina was about to answer, but she noticed that Draco was still watching them. She changed what she was going to say and turned to the boy. "May I help you?"

"You don't belong here." he sneered.

Kiku started to speak, but Reina cut her off. "And I don't believe dogs eat at the table, so you don't belong here either." There was a round of laughter from behind the half-demon, undoubtedly from the Gryffindor table. It appeared that the boys had used a spell to amplify their hearing. Draco's eyes went cold and he said nothing more. "What? No witty comeback?" Reina said before finishing the conversation with Kiku in Japanese.

After breakfast was over, the students with permission and time gathered outside the castle. The walk to Hogsmeade was uneventful except for Ron occasionally trying to slip some kind of candy to Reina. Unfortunately Kaze caught all of his attempts. However, Reina was able to secretly inform the redhead about her stash of poker winnings, which was mostly candy.

"Harry, it is dangerous. You can't just go around using spells that you don't know what they do," said Hermione exasperated.

"C'mon, Hermione. It was harmless. All Harry did was give me an unusual wakeup call." Ron retaliated in his friend's defense.

"It was careless! For all he knows the Half-Blood Prince could be a dark wizard."

"Hello? I'm right here. Don't talk about me like I'm not." Harry butted in.

"Sorry, Harry. But it's true. Don't you think so, Reina?"

The half-demon was deliberately walking a few feet away from the group for this exact reason. But her efforts didn't keep her name out of the discussion.

"Keep me out of it." she said putting her hands in the pockets of her jacket.

Kiku, who was walking between Reina and Kaze, spoke up. "Getting pulled in, are you?" she smirked.

"Really." the half-demon mumbled.

The argument over Harry's actions that morning with the levitation spell had dissipated by the time they reached Hogsmeade. By then new problems had arisen when Harry spotted someone in the street. Ron and Hermione followed the boy over, and soon had to hold him back when Harry lashed out at the man.

"Harry!" Reina ran over to them when the man scurried away. "What's wrong with you?" she asked helping Ron keep him from going after the coward.

"Mundungus swiped Sirius's stuff." Harry replied angrily. Reina wasn't sure if that was an answer to her question or the boy just venting his anger. Either way she assisted in calming him down.

"Come on. Let's go to the Three Broomsticks. It'll be warm in there." Hermione suggested.

The trio and Reina rejoined the two waiting demons before going to the Three Broomsticks. There they ordered drinks and took tow booths in the back. To Harry's disappointment, Reina sat on the other side of his chair with Kaze and Kiku. _'I guess I can talk to her later.' _he thought as he took a sip of his butter beer.

"Harry, are you okay? You looked troubled." Hermione stated.

Ron looked at his friend and nodded his head. "Don't worry about Mundungus. That prick will get what's coming to him."

"It's not that, Ron," said Harry with a sigh. "Well, not all of it."

"Then what's wrong, mate?"

Harry turned his head to the side for a second, and then looked back to his friends. "I haven't been able to talk to Reina alone lately." he whispered so the girls behind him couldn't hear. Ron's eyes lit up and a devilish grin appeared on his lips.

"You like her, don't you, Harry?" he said in a low voice. "When did this happen? Well, she is cute so you didn't go wrong there. Plus she's got an attitude similar to yours."

"No, Ron! That's not what I meant!"

"Oh, then you're going to talk to her about Kaze? I don't suggest getting into that one."

"You're only saying that because you like her." said Hermione, just to see what the redhead would do.

Ron nearly choked on his butter beer. After a short coughing fit, he said, "I do not!"

"Oh, that's right. It's Kiku you have the hots for."

"Shut up! Both of you." Harry cut in. He now regretted saying anything about it. "I'm not crushing on anyone. My intentions are completely different."

"Sorry. What's going on then?"

The Boy-Who-Lived propped his head up with his hand. With a sigh he said, "Have you noticed how much Reina knows about Hagrid?" His friends nodded. "How could she know that much in just two months?"

"There's probably a simple explanation for that." Hermione said.

"Maybe. But how do you explain her sleeping schedule?"

"Kaze told us she is one for staying awake through the night." She decided not to tell Harry that Reina had been missing from bed several nights. "And there's a possibility that she has a sleeping disorder."

The probability of that had already had its run through Harry's mind and he didn't believe it. There was something strange about that girl, he could tell by the way she acted around others. When someone wanted her help, Reina gladly helped no matter who it was or what the job was. If an insult was thrown her way, usually by a Slytherin, she always came back with a clever retaliation of her own as though she had practice. But whenever a personal question was asked of her, Reina appeared reluctant to answer and would find someway to change the subject.

"Harry, please don't persecute Reina like you've been doing to Malfoy. You know what Kaze said about her life. Don't make her hate Hogwarts for the same reason." Hermione pleaded.

After Harry agreed not to bother the girl, the trio finished their drinks. The trio of girls behind them were done as well so they all left the building together. As the next two hours passed, Harry and Ron quickly became bored with the girls' shopping. Once Hermione and the three demons were satisfied with their purchases, the group started making their way back to Hogwarts.

About halfway through the walk, Kaze stopped unexpectantly. Because she was in the back no one noticed she was missing until she called out to the others. Five heads turned, but only one was hit dead on with a snowball. Ron staggered back and wiped the snow off his face when he regained his balance.

"Bloody hell! Wha…" The redhead was cut off by another snowball, one that barely missed his shoulder. Not saying anything else, Ron grabbed up a handful of snow and packed it into a ball. As he prepared to throw it at Kaze he felt the cold of the snow on his back. Less than five seconds later, snowballs were flying through the air at laughing teens.

"Hey! Watch it!"

"You started it!"

Reina dashed behind a tree off to the side of the path to escape the snow fury. She peeked out to see where everyone was, a snowball soaring right by her face. Quickly concealing herself again, Reina saw something move next to her. She pulled out her wand and cast a banishing charm. The snowball stopped in mid air and then flew back to break against Harry's chest.

"No magic allowed in a snowball fight." Harry said smiling.

The half-demon smiled back. "Sorry." She took a step forward, but immediately feel back against the tree, the palm of her free hand pressed to her temple.

"Reina!" Harry rushed forward to help. "Are you okay?"

"What happened?" asked Hermione as she and the others hurried over.

"I don't know. He used a banishing charm and the fell back." Harry explained helping Reina remain standing.

Kaze and Kiku looked to the half-demon then to each other. They knew this couldn't be good.

"I-I'm fine." Reina said. She bit her bottom lip as the pain slowly dissipated. She stood up straight and let go of Harry's arm, which she had used for support. "I'm fine now, just a migraine." It took a minute or two more of convincing before thy believed the girl was all right. Once that was established, they continued on their way to the castle.

When they arrived back to the school there were even bigger problems than a simple headache. Katie had been cursed by a pendant she was to deliver to Dumbledore. That had taken everyone's attention off of Reina's earlier misfortune, which she was grateful for, although it didn't last.

"You need to go to the Hospital Wing." Kaze said frustrated. She had been trying to get her friend to seek help since dinner, but to now avail.

"I'm not going to the hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey has enough to deal with."

"If you're referring to Katie, she's been transferred to a real hospital." Kiku said.

Reina cut Kiku a dirty look. "You're a big help, water sprite." Kiku only smiled. "Come on. It's right up here."

"If you won't see Madam Pomfrey will you at least tell Dumbledore what happened?"

"He's just as busy with finding out who cursed that pendant. Now would you two drop it?"

"No." the wind and water demons said simultaneously.

"Oh, well. We're here." The half-demon walked in front of the tapestry hanging on the wall. She stood a few feet from the stone and waited until a door appeared out of nowhere.

* * *

Harry and Ron were up in their room sitting on Harry's bed. The Marauder's map was spread out on top of the sheets, names and footprints moving over the parchment.

"I'm telling you Malfoy gave that necklace to Katie." Harry insisted.

"You can't prove that, Harry. Besides, McGonagall said that Malfoy didn't even go to Hogsmeade."

"I don't…care." Harry leaned closer to look at the map. There were three dots grouped together in one of the corridors moving around rather frantically. Harry recognized the room they were in, the Room of Requirement. "Look at this." He pointed at the section of the map.

Ron also leaned forward to get a closer look. "I can understand her being out," He pointed to the still dot. "But these two don't have an excuse."

"Now do you believe me?" Harry sat back after taking one more look at the titled flags of Reina Krone, Emi Soran, and Kiku Sukue.


	12. Chapter 12

Kuro: (praying it doesn't take the movers long to get our stuff in)

Kaze: Oh calm down, will you batty?

Kuro: All right.

Kaze: Besides we have other things to worry about. (has sign in hand that says "exams suck")

Kuro: (groans) My life bites at the moment...Ok, enough self-pity. Here's the last chapter I'll be posting for a few weeks.

Kaze: Yeah, but the writing will continue. And remember we own nothing but ourselves and pets.

Kuro: Review plez! It'll make me feel better.

Kaze: Yes, now onto the chapter.

Review Responses:

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. And please excuse any typos. I'll start reading over the chapter before I post.

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 12

Harry was unsuccessful in convincing Ron that Malfoy had something to do with the necklace, but he was able to get his friend to cover for him. Staying quiet so their sleeping roommates would remain sleeping, Harry retrieved the invisibility cloak from the bottom of his trunk. Luckily, the common room was deserted except for a few stragglers. It was past curfew so Harry encountered no one in the hallways.

His footsteps echoed off the stone around him as he ran down the last corridor. He stopped just in front of the tapestry hiding the Room of Requirement and took out the Marauder's map. The three dots were in the same place as they were five minutes ago, only now Kaze's flag was still and the other two moving about. Harry put the map away and removed the invisibility cloak. He began repeating, "I need to find Reina, Kaze, and Kiku," over and over in his head. After a few tries the door phased into existence, and Harry wasted no time in opening it.

* * *

"That's cheating! We said no powers." Reina tried to sound pissed but it wasn't working. A smile found its way out despite just being punched in the jaw.

"It was an accident." Kiku retorted with false innocence.

The half-demon launched at the water demon, her fist poised to strike. Kiku planned on countering the attack, but instead of catching Reina's arm she caught a cloud of darkness, blinding her momentarily. Because of this handicap she was unable to escape the roundhouse kick to her side. However, she did come back with an attack of her own.

Both girls stumbled back, Kiku breathing hard and Reina coughing from water being thrust in her face. "So that's what you brought the water bottle for." said Kaze from the sidelines.

"Yes," Kiku answered once her breathing was back to normal. "I can't create water from nothing just yet. I'm close though." She held out her hand, palm down, to demonstrate. Little drops of water fell from her hand to the floor.

"Wicked counter, Kiku. But next time watch where you're shooting." A sneeze from Reina had her friends laughing at her expense. She ignored them and wrung out her now wet hair. After quickly pulling the blue locks into a ponytail, Reina looked over to Kiku. "Ready for round two?"

"You bet."

The two demons faced off once again in the center of the room. This place that Reina had found was perfect for sparring. It had everything they needed; a variety of weapons mounted on one wall, holes in another wall to store their things, and strange bottles full of what Kiku identified as healing potions. The room also gave the girls the privacy needed to be themselves. While they were here, the demons abandoned their disguises.

"Ready," Kaze bellowed acting as referee. She watched the others take up fighting stances. "Set," Lavender orbs met swirled purple ones. "Fight!" Just then the door swung open and the fighters ceased their attacks.

"Harry!" Reina exclaimed in surprise. Before the boy could address them, the door behind him slammed shut. Harry turned to see who had shut the door. Kiku used the few seconds Kaze's distraction gave them to quickly use illusions to hide all of their appearances. When the boy looked back he saw the three in human form.

Remaining by the door, Harry glanced at each of them in turn. "What are you three doing in here?"

Kaze and Kiku went to the cubbies, grabbed their stuff, and headed towards the door. _"We did our part in keeping the secret, now it's your turn."_ the wind demon said to Reina telepathically.

"Good luck!" Kiku called back from the hallway.

"See ya, Harry." Kaze dashed past him to join the water demon in the hall. The door closed and Reina was left alone to explain the situation to Harry.

_'I'm gonna kill them!'_ Reina frowned and walked over to retrieve her things. "What are you doing up, Harry? It's past curfew." she said calmly.

Harry followed her over to the corner, glancing at the components of the room as he did. "I asked you first." He watched Reina closely as she examined some cuts on her arms and a split lip.

"You asked first, you answer first."

"Reina," he said a bit sternly.

"We were training." The half-demon decided not to waste a potion on something so minor. "And not magically if that's what you were going to ask next."

Indeed it was what Harry was going to verbalize. This made him think about the DA meetings held in the Room of Requirement last year. It also occurred to him that physical fighting was something good to know if magic failed. "Do you do that often? Combat training I mean."

Reina answered without looking at him, seemingly more concentrated on collecting her belongings. "Kaze and I usually do it once a week. But we haven't been able to since we came to Hogwarts. This was the first time we used this place to train."

"Yeah, the Room of Requirement lives up to its name." Harry sat down on the bench when he realized that Reina had no intention to leave just yet. She had already packed up her things and cleaned her injuries, and now she was putting away equipment that they had dragged out. Harry's expression suddenly became stiff. This was probably the only time he and Reina would be alone for some time. He wasn't going to let the opportunity slip out of his grasp.

"Reina, do you mind if I ask you something?" he said. The girl looked over to him for the first time in five minutes. A look of worry crossed her face as if something inevitable was happening. She threw that look away, replacing it with a kind and gentle one, and came over to sit next to Harry.

"You just did. But go ahead."

When the half-demon sat down, Harry saw that the worry and nervousness had not disappeared, but merely moved to dwell in dark eyes, like game hiding from a hunter, the hunter cannot see it but he knows it's there.

"At the beginning of term, you told Hermione that you helped the house elves over the summer. How long have you been at Hogwarts?"

Reina shifted on the bench and leaned back against the wall. "Since late July. My father had to leave so Dumbledore allowed us to come early." Harry let out a soft "oh". "Is there anything else you wish to ask me?"

"Yes."

"In that case, would you care to ask up in the common room? This bench isn't too comfortable."

Harry agreed and the two of them snuck out of the room, through the halls, and to their house tower without being caught. Once they got there, Reina kept her promise, allowing Harry to continue his interrogation.

"First of all, what's with you and nighttime? You're forever staying up late. And I've been hearing the portrait hole close in the middle of the night and something on the stairs."

"That would be me." Reina openly admitted. She lied down on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling. "I have a sleeping disorder causing me to have trouble getting to sleep at night. There's a pass in the outside pocket of my bag giving me permission to be out after hours." she explained, and gave Harry the okay to remove the pass from her bag.

Sure enough there was a piece of parchment in the pocket. In Dumbledore's neat handwriting was a statement of permission and a short explanation of why. Harry placed the pass back into the outside pocket and zipped it up. When he put the bag on the table, Harry noticed the letters 'MP' embroidered into the material.

"Okay. How do you know Hagrid so well?" Harry asked.

"My father is a friend of Hagrid's."

Harry returned his attention to Reina's bag. If he didn't ask about it now it would bother him to no end. He grabbed the thing off the table and turned it to face the girl. "Whose initials are these?"

The half-demon rolled her head to the side to see Harry. She sighed and looked back up to the ceiling, placing the back of her hand over her eyes. "My mother's, Marina Po…" Reina abruptly cut herself off, mentally swearing for almost letting her mother's maiden name be known. "Parker, Marina Parker. It was her old schoolbag from her years at Hogwarts."

There was nothing suspicious about that, not until the gears in Harry's head began working faster. _'If her mother attended Hogwarts, then why had Reina gone to some other school?'_ he thought. But then again, if her other school wished to remain anonymous than there is probably a good reason for it. Harry switched questions and instead asked, "Is she traveling with your father?"

The question resulted in a long silence. Harry was patient though as Reina still lie motionless on the sofa. He didn't know how long it had been until his answer came.

"No, she's dead."

"How?" he said hesitantly.

"During childbirth, my birth."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too." Reina whispered the last part to herself, although she didn't care if Harry heard. Finally she sat up and looked at the boy. "Harry, could we do this later?"

"Sure."

The two said goodnight and went their separate way on the stairs. Reina quietly opened the door to her room, grateful when it didn't creak. When she got to the bed, she realized that she had gotten away from Harry just in time. Kiku's illusion faded as she sat down. After pulling the curtains closed around herbed, Reina lied down feeling unusually tired. It wasn't long before the half-demon fell into an unsettling sleep.

* * *

"Ginny, couldn't you be a bit more encouraging?"

"It's Ron! At this rate nothing, including encouragement, is going to help him play better." Ginny said and stormed out of the changing room.

As of now, things weren't looking good for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Their Chaser was in St. Mungo's so Harry was forded to find a replacement. That replacement happened to be Dean Thomas who was ecstatic when Harry told him. That was one problem down, but Ron's sudden drop in skill was another.

"Hey! Wait up!"

Harry and Ron turned to see Kiku running down the steps of the stands toward them. "What do you want?" Ron sneered.

"It doesn't bother me in the least that you don't like me, Weasley." said Kiku when she reached the boys.

"You know, that sounded a lot like something Malfoy would say." Harry commented.

Kiku immediately stuck her tongue out and gagged. "I gotta spend less time with him." Harry chuckled, and even Ron cracked a smile despite his bad mood. "Anyways, have either of you seen Kaze or Reina?"

"Not since last night."

"Can I follow you up to the tower to see if they are there?"

Two Gryffindors and a Slytherin walked into the castle and went up the stairs. When they came to the boys' shortcut, Ron pulled back the tapestry and got a big surprise, Ginny and Dean kissing in the small space. Harry and Ron both looked stunned and angry. As Kiku saw the scene, she used her next step to turn around so her back was to the group.

"Ginny!"

The couple broke apart and looked a their new audience. "What?" A fight of sibling rivalry kicked in after that. Ginny and Ron were yelling pretty loudly, chasing anyone in the hallway out. Harry stood off to the side trying to find a good time to interfere, and Kiku started rocking back and forward on her heels. Eventually the younger sister had the last word and walked away. Ron's mood was worse now, but they continued to the tower.

They met Hermione coming out of the dormitory when they got to the top of the stairs. "I was just coming to look for you." she said to Kiku. "Kaze is pacing the floor saying any swear word she can think of. She's been doing it for the better part of an hour."

Kiku crossed her arms with an amused smirk. "Any idea what caused it?"

"Form what I could understand of her rambling, I think it has something to do with Reina missing."

The water demon frowned. "Reina is missing? Again?" She pushed past Hermione and climbed through the still open door into the Gryffindor common room. Just like Hermione had said, Kaze was walking the floor, looking like she could burn a hole through it if she moved fast enough. Some little first years scooted away from the angry girl. At any other time Kiku would have found this entertaining. She crossed the space between her and the other demon before anyone could stop her.

"Can't we just tie her to a post so she won't run away?" the water demon said catching the girl's attention.

Kaze stopped pacing and swearing long enough to acknowledge Kiku's presence. "I'm afraid not. People would consider that cruel and unusual punishment."

"What's a Slytherin doing here?" someone called out.

"Shut up." Harry said as he and the others went over to the two demons.

"Reina could be walking around the castle. Why make such a big deal out of it?" said Hermione.

"Half the time she goes out alone something bad happens." Kaze sighed and crossed her arms. "Damn half-breed."

"She said she was going for a walk. I'm sure she's fine."

Kaze and Kiku turned on Hermione after she said this. "When?" they said in unison.

"This morning around four. She had a bad dream and was going to walk it off." Hermione told them. "I didn't think anything of it."

"Maybe we should just leave her alone. She needs some time to relax." Kiku said after thinking it over. Kaze was reluctant to agree, but eventually did.

Their patience paid off in the end. Reina returned to the common room two hours after dinner. When Kaze and Kiku, who had gone to wait with the Gryffindors, asked her about her whereabouts, Reina only said she went for a walk. The half-demon didn't look like she was in the mood for talking so the others left her alone.

Another week passed by with no significant events occurring. Over the days Reina gradually became her old self again, which her friends were thankful for, and just in time to enjoy the first Quidditch game of the season. However, Ron had not recovered as quickly as Reina had.

"Don't drink that!" Hermione warned. Ron stopped his attempt to drink once again. The bushy haired girl insisted that she had seen Harry spike Ron's drink, but Harry denied it.

"Don't tell me what to do, Hermione." The redhead downed his juice in one swig.

After breakfast everyone headed down to the pitch. The stands filled up quickly as the game was about to start. Hermione, Reina, and Kaze had gotten there early to hang with the team beforehand. While talking with Harry and the others, Kaze saw Ron sitting alone in the corner. "Is he still sulking over this whole thing?" she asked.

"Yeah. He's even saying he is quitting the team after today."

Kaze had a glint in her eye. "Maybe I can help." She stalked over to Ron and leaned against a post near him. "What do you think you're doing over here by yourself?" Ron ignored her. "You're more pathetic than I thought."

The boy's head jerked up and he glared at Kaze. "Whom are you calling pathetic?" he said standing up.

"You of course. Quitting just because of a little stage fright." The wind demon calmly examined her nails while Ron was heating up even more.

"I'm not scared!" Ron said dangerously close to losing it.

On the other side of the tent, half of the team was watching the argument. "What is she doing, trying to make the situation worse?" asked Harry. He moved to keep Kaze from taunting his friend, but he was stopped by Reina's outstretched arm.

"Let them be." she said. "Kaze knows what she's doing. She does the same thing to me when I am upset."

"And what would that be?"

"Making him mad. The angrier he is the more he'll want to prove himself. In order to do that Ron must believe in his own abilities."

"Which in turn will make him play better. I get it." said Harry. Hermione gave him a dirty look, still believing Harry had put Felix Felicis in Ron's pumpkin juice. Harry ignored her and glanced back to the scene of helping-in-disguise.

"The prove me wrong. Show us that you can actually play."

Ron stared down at the person mocking him. His anger made room for confusion when Kaze gave him a cocky smile. He wasn't sure what she was trying t do, but he was going to prove her wrong. And indeed he did. He played well and Gryffindor won the game.

In accords to Gryffindor's victory, there was a party in the common room. Everyone was having a good time except for one missing person. "Hey, Harry!" called Reina from the crowd. Harry heard his name and looked around. He spotted the half-demon pushing her way over to him. "Have you seen Kaze?"

"No." Harry said.

"Okay. Thanks." The girl started off for the door, but Harry stopped her.

"Where are you going?" It was sort of a stupid question since Reina was wearing the loose fitting pants and tank she'd been wearing when she did combat training. "Are you not going to stay?"

"Too many people for my liking." Reina answered with a smile before disappearing in the crowd.

Harry glanced around for any sign of his friends. A few moments later he saw Ron in a corner with one Lavender Brown and practically eating each other's faces off. It appeared that he wasn't the only one who saw them. There were some disgruntled mumbles as someone pushed through the crowd. Harry turned around just in time to see a head of bushy hair escape the portrait hole.

* * *

Kiku strolled through the halls with no definite destination. She just wanted to get away from Draco. He wasn't that bad for the majority of the day, but he recently got on the subject of the Dark Lord. That was something Kiku didn't want to stick around and listen to. She walked out of the dormitory twenty minutes ago and now found herself outside the Gryffindor tower. She was debating on whether to get Reina or Kaze when she heard a classroom door slam up ahead.

The water demon knocked on the classroom door and got no answer. She opened the door after knocking a second time. Hermione was sitting on the teacher's desk, yellow canaries flying around her head. "Hermione," Kiku said softly. She heard the girl sniff before looking over her shoulder.

"Hi, Kiku." said Hermione weakly. Kiku went to the front and sat on the desk next to her.

"What's wrong?"

Hermione wiped her eyes dry with the sleeve of her robe. "Nothing."

"Nothing, eh? Well, crying usually means something."

The young witch was quiet for a moment. She sighed heavily and said, "It's Ron."

"Oh, want me to help you beat him to a bloody pulp?" Kiku said. Hermione smiled at this and looked at Kiku who gave her a friendly smile back.

"No thanks. I'll be okay."

The door opened again and Harry came in. Both girls glanced at him from the front. "I guess I should go." Kiku hopped off the desk. "Are you sure you're okay?" Hermione nodded. "I'm always up for talking if you need someone."

As Kiku reached for the doorknob, the door opened and she jumped back. Ron and Lavender were laughing until they saw everyone else in the room.

"Uh, hi." Lavender said sweetly.

Kiku stepped forward with a scowl. Ron's arm ornament looked at her curiously. The temptation was too great for the water demon to resist. Her expression changed to glinting eyes and a malicious grin, and she used an illusion to make it seem like she had fangs. "Hi." she said. Lavender visibly tensed bringing satisfaction to the water sprite. With that done, Kiku left the four humans alone.


	13. Chapter 13

Kuro: Guess who's back!

Kaze: Yes, we're back and ready to reck more chaos.

Kuro: Hell yea! You don't know how much I've missed all of you readers. (gives readers a big hug)

Kaze: (pulls Kuro away and ties her to a chair) Calm down, Kuro.

Kuro: (pouts) But I can't help it.

Kaze: Too bad. Now, remember we own nothing but ourselves and our pets.

Kuro: You see how she treats me. How rude. (sigh) Oh well, we hope you enjoy this long awaited chpt.

Kaze: Yep, and please review.

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 13

"You idiot!"

"Ow!"

"Don't hit him!"

"Stay out of it."

Lavender moved back, fearing Kiku's stern look. After slapping Ron upside the head a second time, Kiku ran after Hermione. Transfiguration class obviously didn't go very well. Hermione had laughed at Ron, along with many others, when his attempt to change his eyebrows gave him a mustache. In reply to that, Ron went too far in making fun of Hermione.

"Damn Slytherin." Ron grumbled gathering his things. When he walked to the door, he saw Harry giving him a disapproving look and Reina glaring a hole through him. He quickly left the room, Lavender right on his heels.

"Hermione left her things." Harry picked up his friend's forgotten books as well as his own bag. "This is ridiculous." he sighed.

"Maybe they'll make up soon." Reina said trying to be positive, but she didn't even believe it herself.

"Not likely."

Harry, Reina, and Kaze left the classroom in search of their bushy-haired classmate. They found her coming out of one of the girls' bathrooms, Kiku and Luna Lovegood in her company. "Hermione!" Harry rushed down the hall. "You forgot your things."

Hermione sniffed and took the books Harry offered her. "Thanks, Harry. Well, I have to get going." After smiling weakly at all of them, she turned and walked away.

"I swear, if Ron doesn't get his act together then I'll give him a reason to hate me." the water demon said angrily.

"Make sure it's through legal means." said Harry smiling.

Taking a peek at her pocket watch, Reina sighed. "I've gotta split." With that she quickened her pace. Before turning the corner she heard someone call out about her presence at dinner. "Maybe!" she shouted back and then continued for the Entrance Hall.

When she jumped over the last three steps, the half-demon saw that Hagrid was already waiting by the door. Pushing the strap of her bag up on her shoulder, she walked over to him. "Sorry I'm a bit late, Hagrid. We had a small mishap in Transfiguration." she told him.

"It's all righ'." the half-giant said. He looked around the hall, which was mildly busy, and gestured Reina over to a secluded corner. Making sure no one was listening, he bent over closer to the girl. "Reina, would you mind doin' me a favor?" Hagrid said rather anxiously.

"Of course. What did you have in mind?"

* * *

"Why are we going to Care of Magical Creatures class?"

"Because Hagrid want us to see the newest creature he's showing his class. He also said something about helping out with the demonstration."

The Gryffindor trio was walking out to the grounds where the class was held. They saw the gathered fifth years and Hagrid standing at the front of the group. The half-giant waved them over with his large hand. "Listen up." he began. "I'm sure most of you know Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They'll be helpin' out. Now, today we'll meet a creature tha' most wizards find very dangerous. Before we see 'em, open your books to page seven hundred an' thirty-eight."

While the students turned to the designated page number, the trio caught sight of the topic of the chapter printed in fancy writing at the top. Hermione's gasp matched some of those from the fifth years. "Demons?" Ron said stunned. "Blimey, Hagrid! You can't be serious."

"Demons? You're saying that they exist?" said Harry. He had been taken by surprise before when he discovered that mythical beings such as dragons and unicorns did exist. But he would have never thought demons lived outside of stories of Hell.

"Yes, they do, Harry." Hermione confirmed. "However, they are not the devilish figures painted by most religions. The case was as such a thousand years ago, but evolution came into play. In the present time most demons appear in human form. Here, read for yourself."

Harry took the book and read the passage. Everything Hermione had said was written there; the origin, folklore, and the modern day perception. He went on to read more about these creatures.

_Demons are able to blend in with muggles and wizards alike, but they do possess distinguished marks that separate them from the human race. Such attributes include abnormal hair and eye color, misshapen ears, sharp features, strange body art or birthmarks, powerful auras, and unnatural powers. Not only are they recognized by their appearances, but also by their behavior and/or personality. Demons have been said to be malevolent creatures that care only for themselves and others of their kind. Encounters with demons by humans usually end in injury or even death for the unlucky human. _

_As for the unnatural powers demons possess, they can be a number of different things. Control over the elements of the earth is a common ability. Others have been recorded to create material items from nothing. But no matter what they can do, these powers are considered very dangerous, especially if the demon in question is a high ranking one. Demonic powers are discussed in more detail later in the chapter._

"As you can see they are very dangerous." Hermione said disrupting Harry's concentration. He made a mental note to read the whole chapter on demons later.

"So they are against wizards?"

"And humans in general. Good thing they know to stay away from us." said Ron with confidence, but he was still unnerved about it.

"Not all of 'em are bad." Hagrid grumbled in the demons' defense. "Besides, the demons here ain't foreign to out world." he added.

Hermione still wasn't pleased. It was obvious that no matter what the gamekeeper said, she wouldn't be at ease with the situation. "Does Dumbledore know about this?"

"Yes, he does. Dumbledore agreed to it as long as they kept their identities a secret."

"Their identities?"

Hagrid suddenly realized he said a bit more than he should have. "I think it's time to bring 'em out." The half-giant trudged to the side to give the students a better view of the clearing behind him. "Come on out!" he shouted. Nothing happened. Looking around anxiously, the kids could see no one. Hagrid cleared his throat and yelled again. "I said, come on out!"

This time there was a reaction to Hagrid's call. A strange wind came out of nowhere, making everyone cover their faces from the dust that escaped the overlying snow. A tornado about half the size of a normal one stopped in front of the class and then broke apart. Standing in its place was a short young woman who looked relatively normal. Besides the pointed ears and tornado tattoo on her chest, she could pass as human.

Once the dust completely cleared, a black hole was visible in the ground next to the strange girl. When it stopped growing the darkness in it began to ripple. A few seconds later, someone emerged from the blackness. Before anyone could look this person over, a hovering ball of what astonishingly appeared to be water floated over. There was a splashing sound when the orb touched the ground and exploded. However, the water evaporated before it hit anyone or anything.

Unlike the first demon, the last two could not pull off the act of blending in. The second one to appear, rising up through a pitch-black pit, had long dark blue hair that was left down, covering her pointed ears. They were close enough for some of the people up front to see lavender eyes also. The third demon stuck out just as badly; amethyst hair framing her face, and purple eyes with a swirl to them.

Hagrid walked over to stand next to the three females. "This here's the creature tha' people fear. But these three are friends so there's nothin' to be scared of." he said heartily. "Let's see, this is…" He had to think for a moment about the names the demons had given him. "Hisui, Kurenai, and Satsuki." he announced starting with the purple haired girl and going down the line.

As Hagrid and the demons were talking to the fifth years, Harry leaned closer to his friends. "Is it just me or do those girls look familiar?" he said. Ron and Hermione glanced at the subjects for the class lesson.

"I'd say it's just you, mate." Ron said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"But don't those two look like…"

"Oh, come off it, Harry. I thought you were done being suspicious of Kiku and Kaze. You said yourself that Reina sounded truthful when you talked to her. It's impossible that those demons are them." Hermione saw Ron looking at her, which made her anger swell up again. She had only agreed to come because Hagrid asked them all. If he hadn't then she'd still be avoiding Ron. Without another word she walked away from the boys and over to the class.

Ron and Harry also joined the group, each taking a different demon to help. Mostly they were supervising and in a few cases, trying to convince the younger students to approach the demons. To Harry's surprise, the unusual females acted differently from the description in the book. These demons were careful when showing something to the students or even doing harmless things to them. By the end of class most everyone was reluctant to go.

"We'll come back to visit." The blue-haired demon said kindly.

The short one next to her smacked a boy's hand away from her ear. "Not if they keep poking and prodding me I won't."

"All righ', class dismissed." Hagrid called out. The fifth years collected their stuff and started off for the castle. Hermione said a few more things to the demons and then she, too, went back to the building. "Thanks fer helpin' out."

"I'm glad we could help." said Harry. After one more suspicious glance at the supposed "dangerous" beasts, he and Ron began their walk to the castle.

* * *

It was the day before Christmas break, and unfortunately the day of Slughorn's party. The Great Hall was decorated with several towering trees, candles floating in the air, and mostly filled with Christmas joy. There were no classes so everyone could pack up their things and prepare to leave.

"Are you staying here, Kaze?" Hermione asked. She and the wind demon were seated a few feet down the table from Harry and Ron. Occasionally one of the boys would glance over at them, but there was no further contact.

"I don't really have a choice." Kaze replied, taking a bite of the sandwich she'd chosen for lunch.

Hermione put her drink down and looked at the girl across from her. "What do you mean? I thought your home was in the same town as Reina's. And she told me it wasn't far away."

"It's not, but if I go back then I'll be bored out of my mind. I live alone." She added the last part when she noticed Hermione's curious gaze. "Long story short, I am an orphan and got tired of the town I was born in. So I left." The explanation through a mouthful of ham and cheese cured the young witch's curiosity, although she could have done without the view of chewed food.

Down the table, the boys were also discussing their plans for the holidays, and some other things. "You could've picked anyone and you choose Looney Lovegood." Ron grumbled with disapproval.

"I asked her before I realized what I was doing. And don't call her that." Harry returned defensively.

"Don't call who what?"

The two boys turned quickly to see the girls who had been missing all morning. Reina sat next to Harry without thinking. When Kiku remained standing, her mistake became clear. Quickly getting up, the half-demon stepped up onto the bench and jumped over the tabletop to the other side. Landing on the floor, Reina spun and sat back down beside Ron, who was staring at her as if she were crazy. Kiku then filled the empty spot on the bench in front of her.

"What was the point of that?" Harry asked although he had his suspicions of the reason. Just then, a shadow was cast over Reina from behind. The half-demon didn't bother to look behind her, sensing who it was, like everyone else.

"Krone! If I see you do that again you will face a Saturday in detention with me." came the hissing sound of Snape's voice.

The people closest to the conniving professor looked from him to the young woman, whose back was still facing her accuser. Some, like Kiku and Kaze, were concealing chuckles behind their hands while enjoying their friend's humiliation.

"Am I understood?" Snape asked grimly when Reina did not react to his initial statement. But again he got no immediate reply. He opened his mouth to address the rebellious teen a third and final time.

"Yes, sir. I understand you perfectly." The confirmation of understanding had cut the snipe professor off. With a smug look directed at the back of Reina's head, and then a curious one at the lone Slytherin, Snape turned on his toes and walked away, his pitch-black robe swaying with the man's movements.

"Don't you just love that man." Kiku's voice rang with cheerful sarcasm, but Ron either didn't know that or wasn't paying enough attention to notice.

"Are you bloody kidding me?"

"Yes, Ron, she is." Reina sighed and then allowed her head to fall forward onto her overlapping arms.

A few seconds later, a dinner roll flew through the air a short distance, its trip coming to an expected end when bounced off the half-demon's head. Reina slowly raised her head and glared at the unaffected culprit. "Head off the table." said Kaze, positioning to finish off her sandwich. "It's bad manners."

"Lighten up, Rei. Put Snape out of your mind and focus on what we've planned for tonight." Kiku said reassuringly, a grin playing at the corners of her mouth.

That seemed to brighten Reina's mood considerably. "Huh? What are you doing tonight?" asked Hermione, speaking up for the first time since Kiku and Reina got there. "Are you going to Slughorn's party?" Ron cleared his throat at the mention of the party, but Hermione ignored him.

"Invited, but not going." was the water demon's answer.

"What about you, Reina?"

"Unfortunately, I also received an invitation thanks to our talkative Professor Mikers. But I don't do parties, resulting in my absence tonight."

"Slughorn is just going to keep bothering you about it." Kaze bluntly stated. "And no teacher of mine it going to blab." She smiled triumphantly and earned a few glares. Harry then repeated Hermione's question, two matching evil grins being his answer. "That would mean nothing good for the people around them." said the short blonde before getting up and leaving the Great Hall.

* * *

Later that night, the meaning of Kaze's last words at lunch became all too clear to the Gryffindor trio. Harry had just finished getting ready for Slughorn's party when he exited the boys' dormitory. He found Ron in a corner with one Lavender Brown, so he instead went over to a relaxed Kaze, who was sitting in a chair with Fireball curled up in her lap.

"Have you seen Hermione?" he asked.

"She already left." Kaze answered without looking at him. She seemed to be distracted by something. Curious as to what she was looking at, Harry followed the girl's line of vision across the room. What he saw was nowhere near what he expected.

Mugs of butter beer and pumpkin juice were being levitated above the heads of a group of older boys including Seamus, Neville, and Dean. In a blink of an eye, the mugs were severed in half by an invisible force, the contents spilling over the shrieking boys. A few feet away, some remaining drinks suddenly caught fire scaring the first and second years around the table. Then all the sources of light in the common room were extinguished. Screams erupted form every corner, some not even sounding human. When the lights returned a minute later, all the furniture had been rearranged, small birds were fluttering around the room, and a third of the people there were drenched in water. Ron and Lavender just happened to be two of those people.

"What the hell is going on!" Ron stormed over to Harry and Kaze, his red hair plastered to his face.

Kaze softly scratched behind Fireball's ears, making the cat purr in pleasure. "Now you have seen first hand the damage sugar can cause. Maybe you'll think twice before prompting Reina and Kiku with candy." she said accusingly.

"Reina? She's behind all of this?"

With an uncaring look on her face, the wind demon lazily pointed to the balcony she now faced since her chair had been turned. The boys whipped their heads around to view the higher level. Ron swore under his breath because he saw nothing. However, Harry's quick eyes had caught the tip of an ebony wand. Ignoring the argument that was beginning to brew between the two people next to him, Harry walked away and dashed up the stairs.

Coming around the corner, the Boy-Who-Lived saw his friend sitting cross-legged on the floor with a small brown paper bag at her side. "Hey, Harry!" the girl chirped when Harry crouched in front of her.

"Hey, Reina." said Harry. "What are you doing up here?"

The half-demon looked up at him with a sweet and innocent smile. "Having fun, of course." That was obvious, and possibly an understatement depending on how one looked at the situation.

Harry leaned forward a bit on his toes in order to see inside the bag. It was filled halfway with nothing but assorted candies. Reina picked up the paper bag and offered it to Harry. "Want some?"

"No, thanks." replied Harry with a smile. "I need to be going. Have fun destroying the common room." He stood up and walked over to the stairs. Looking back at Reina, he saw the girl standing with her wand pointed over the crowd.

"Engor-oh!"

Reina's wand fell from her hand and clattered on the balcony's ledge. Staggering back from the edge, Reina's knees gave out and she fell to the floor. "Reina!" Harry quickly moved over to the girl. She was now on her knees, one hand on the floor supporting her weight and the other grasping her chest. Her breathing was fast and her eyes were squeezed shut against the pain.

Once again, Harry wasn't sure what to do. The struggle in Reina's face appeared even worse than the first time. "Hang on. I'm getting help." Harry almost bolted away, but Reina's sudden and strong grip on his wrist practically pulled the arm out of its socket.

"No," she gasped. Slowly, Reina began breathing normally again. She sat back and leaned against the wall under a window. When she was sure Harry wasn't going anywhere, the half-demon broke her hold on him. "Help isn't needed."

"Help isn't needed? Reina, what just happened wasn't normal." Harry said desperately. He knew something was terribly wrong. But why was Reina denying help?

"I am not normal." Reina flatly stated. She looked the boy square in the eye. Determined to keep this incident a secret, she took Harry's hand in both of hers. "Please, Harry. Keep this to yourself. I'll take care of the problem if you don't say anything about it."

"But,"

"Trust me, Harry. Please."

Harry was having a hard time with this. Despite his suspicions earlier that term, he now considered Reina a friend. And he wanted to help her, but he didn't know how to do that. His gut was telling him to tell someone, and yet Reina's desperation couldn't be ignored.

"Fine." Harry sighed. "But you better take care of yourself."

The half-demon gave him a sincere smile. "Thank you. Now, you better get going. Your date is probably wondering where you are." Without arguing, Harry left the girl to her bag of sugarcoated chaos.

* * *

"Sukue!"

Pansy's shrill voice echoed throughout the Slytherin common room. Her patience, as well as the patience of many other Slytherins, was wearing dangerously thin. For the past hour or so, Kiku had been wreaking havoc on her housemates for an unknown reason. Now, the water demon was sitting in an armchair, enjoying her work with a maniacal grin. Curled up in her lap was Hashi, the curious arctic fox pup.

"How may I help you, Parkinson?"

"Cut the sarcasm, Sukue." hissed Pansy. The girl's eyes narrowed and her cheeks were a light pink. "What is wrong with you?"

Kiku cocked her head slightly. "Oh, whatever do you mean?" After saying this, she had to refrain from laughing. It was so easy to imagine steam coming out of Pansy's ears at that moment.

"Argh!"

The rather annoying priss stormed off, completely unaware of the drawing on the back of her shirt. Kiku laughed out loud as the gold doodle of a stick figure vomiting with an arrow pointing up at Pansy's head danced out of sight. Even Hashi lifted his head and wrinkled his nose.

"Kiku!"

The low growl of her name stopped the joyous laughter. After a disgruntled sigh, Kiku glanced to the right where the one and only Draco Malfoy was watching. "Yes?" The chair turned ninety degrees so it now faced the Slytherin boy. Kiku stopped petting Hashi, leaned back against the black cushion, and put her fingertips together.

Draco said nothing for a few moments, but just studied Kiku's demeanor. By the smirk playing on her lips and the mixture of deception and delight in her eyes, it was clear she was on something. "What are you doing?" he asked crossing his arms. At that time, Crabbe and Goyle came forth to stand behind their leader.

The smirk became more defined after Draco's question. "Well, let me think." Kiku's eyes rolled up to the ceiling, fingers in position to count off the many deeds of the devious water demon. "I have silenced a few people who were getting on my nerves, vanished some needed items of my housemates, made Zambini's ass as big as his ego, locked the lavatories' doors, and instigated a couple of harmless bird attacks."

There was an awkward silence from the boy and his lackeys when Kiku had finished. But the demon didn't think her actions tonight deserved this long a silence. She's done much worse in the past when she got a sugar rush. "Are you going to say something or just stand there and gawk at me all night?" Kiku said to end the damned silence.

"Not bad, Sukue. Although, you should be careful about who your little pranks are aimed at." was Draco's smooth reply, which was not what Kiku was expecting. She stared dumbly at him until the true meaning of his statement became clear.

"And by that you mean not to prank you?" she said standing up. Draco's bleach blonde head tilted forward slightly, the movement being a hidden "yes" in Kiku's mind. "Tell me, Draco. What would happen if I did do something that made you the primary target?"

"Heh, you wouldn't dare." the Malfoy heir answered with a chuckle.

"Wouldn't I?"

By now some of the students in the common room had stopped to see what was going on. In no time there were clusters of kids at safe distances around the group.

"Draco, let me give you a piece of advice." Kiku took a step forward. "It is much easier to piss me off when I am hyper. And you are so close to reaching the end of my shortened fuse. So move out of my way." Kiku's charm seemed to work on Crabbe and Goyle for they wearily shuffled away a few feet. However, Draco didn't move. Instead of causing a scene, the water demon walked past him, Hashi right on her heels.

"That little bitch needs to learn her place."

Draco turned with his wand out, but had no chance to take another breath, let alone say a spell. He stumbled backwards from the force of Kiku's punch, his eyes beginning to sting from the tears. Quickly he regained his composure and looked over to Kiku, a sudden reminder of Hermione's punch flashing through his mind.

"I warned you." Kiku smirked.

Crabbe and Goyle charged at the girl when they got over the initial shock. With skill and grace, Kiku maneuvered out of the way so that the two guys collided with each other before falling to the floor. It was obvious that they were of no help anymore, if they were even any help to begin with. Draco straightened up and went to grab Kiku from behind. But the inevitable happened when you're fighting a demon in hand-to-hand combat...you lose.

A door across the room flew open, hitting the wall behind it. As it rebounded back, a pale hand stopped it abruptly. "What is going on out here!" Snape yelled over the crowd of students. Knowing the altercation was now over, the people who did not participate in fist throwing scattered. When Snape reached the small group left, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were back on their feet. "Explain."

"Malfoy tried to hex me, sir. I did not have my wand out so I reacted the only other way I could." The girl nodded towards Draco's bloody nose.

Before Draco could say a word to defend himself, Snape scolded him for his intentions. After that the professor gave a warning glare to them all and then departed the common room. Draco also left quite hastily.

Kiku watched from a corner as the boy crossed the room and exited Slytherin territory. A suspicious feeling pulled at her gut. "Hashi," The fox pup raised his ears at his name. "Follow him. And I'll have a plate of meat ready when you return." With the promise of a good meal, Hashi bolted after Malfoy.


	14. Chapter 14

Kuro: No reviews for chpt 13? I'm shocked at you people.

Kaze: Really, it makes us depressed.

Kuro: How can I get through my day knowing that our readers don't love us anymore?

Kaze: Um...by having Faygo and sugar. But really people, please review. Let us know you care and like the story.

Kuro: Yeah, or I'll delay the posting of my second HP fic even longer.

Kaze: Um...Kuro, can we not go there? Now, for the people who did review, we thank you. Keep it up.

Kuro: Onto chpt 14!

Kaze: Yes, remember we own nothing but ourselves and pets.

Kuro: Enjoy!

Review Response:

Whoops, I forgot about one review. But that doesn't excuse the ppl who have been keeping up with the story and didn't review.

Black Roses of Death- Thanks, I'm glad you like it.

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 14

The holiday break had finally come. The Entrance Hall was full of students and their luggage waiting for the Hogwarts Express to pull into the station. After the students' departure, the castle would seem so empty except for the few people staying behind, including the three demons.

"Harry!"

Said boy halted his descent on the stairs. Looking over his shoulder, Harry saw Neville struggling to get down the steps quickly without falling. Somehow he managed to reach the famous boy with no injury to himself or others. "Oh, hello, Reina." he said when he noticed the girl at Harry's side. The half-demon returned the greeting kindly. "Harry, you saw the demons from Hagrid's class, right?"

"Yes," replied Harry slightly irritated. Too many people had come up to him in the past two days asking about the demons. They were the talk of the whole school.

"Is it true that they're two hundred years old?" Neville asked excitedly.

Reina's eyes widened in shock and then narrowed. _'Oh, that is so insulting. I do not look that old. Father's not even one hundred fifty yet.'_ she thought annoyed.

"I don't know, Neville." Harry said. After a few more words, Neville wished them a happy Christmas and left. The other two Gryffindors went down the remaining steps to find their friends. It didn't take them long to find Ron, Hermione, and Kaze waiting by the door. Not long after meeting up, the gigantic double doors opened. In something not even close to an orderly fashion, the students exited the castle heading for the train station.

The Gryffindor trio held off on boarding the train just yet. They stood chatting with Reina and Kaze for about five minutes before Kiku was seen running towards them. After another short time of talking, the five kids said their goodbyes. Kiku then ran off to say goodbye to her Slytherin friends. Kaze left next saying she had to go feed Fireball. But Reina stayed to see them off.

As the trio boarded the train, something in the back of Reina's head cried out to her. She tried to ignore it, but it insisted on bothering her. In the end, that something won out. "Harry, wait!" The half-demon shuffled over to the platform where the boy was about to step onto the train. "I need to tell you something."

Harry looked down at her with concern. His friend's eyes showed an inner struggle going on. Immediately his thoughts went to the sudden lapses Reina had been having. He stepped off the platform and turned to her. "What is it?"

The half-demon opened her mouth, but refrained from speaking. Her senses returned and told her this wasn't the time. She refused to ruin Harry's holiday with surprising and terribly unexpected news. The hasty decision made, Reina smiled at the boy before her. "Happy Christmas, Harry."

It took a moment for Reina's words to register. Something wasn't right. The sudden change in her attitude suggested that she was hiding something. Harry wanted to find out what it was, but the timing was all wrong. The whistle of the train sounded through the winter air. Startled out of his thoughts, Harry glanced at the train and back to the half-demon. "Happy Christmas, Reina." he said and then quickly got onto the metal monster.

Reina stepped back away from the tracks as the wheels started spinning. Smoke puffed from the front of the station, rising high into the sky. Watching as the train pulled out of the station, Reina saw a hand waving from one of the many windows. When that particular window passed her, Harry and Ron could be seen inside looking out. This brought a smile to the lone girl's face, which stayed alive all the way back to the castle.

Once she was out of the chill air, the half-demon found herself walking circles around the ground floor. For the first time in weeks Reina's thoughts were totally focused on her cousin. Things had been so busy lately that she hadn't really had the time to think about the reason she was at Hogwarts. It felt as though she was there just to learn like every other student. But she wasn't like the others, not even close. She wasn't even like Kaze and Kiku anymore. They could enjoy their stay at Hogwarts because they didn't have to carry the burden that Reina was forced to.

Keeping her true identity a secret was more demanding that Reina originally thought. There were a couple of close calls in the past when the concealing spell wasn't cast. And that spell was draining more and more energy from the half-demon everyday. Why it was happening was a mystery, which also added to Reina's irritation, most of it stemming from Darikk's secrecy. However, the worst part of this whole situation was Harry's involvement in it all. Reina and Harry had become good friends over the past few months. This was having a great impact on Reina's moves to tell Harry the truth. Doubt had found a way into her heart making her question even telling him. It was all so confusing.

"Miss Krone,"

Reina looked up from the floor at the soft sound. "Good morning, Headmaster." She remained still as the old wizard approached her.

"Good morning." Dumbledore noticed something missing from the young woman's face…a smile. Usually Reina would greet the Headmaster cheerily, but not this morning. She didn't look like herself, she looked ill. "How are you today?"

"Fine, sir."

"You know, Reina, I have been dealing with teenagers for quite some time. Whatever it is that's bothering you I'm sure I can be of some help."

The half-demon slid her hands into her jeans' pockets, dropping her eyes back to the floor. "I appreciate your concern, but I doubt you can consider my problems those of a normal teenager." she replied with a smirk not of her nature.

"I see." Dumbledore said after a short silence. He moved to Reina's side and put a hand on her back. "Come with me."

From the deserted corridor, Dumbledore led his student through the halls to his office. They both sat down in chairs facing each other. For a while they just sat in silence with an occasional coo from Fawkes. Eventually Dumbledore decided to address the situation directly. When he looked up from the papers on his desk, he realized that Reina had dropped her disguise and now sat with her eyes closed.

"I assume that the concealing spell on your body is still giving you troubles." said Dumbledore. He believed that the girl's health was the more important issue at that time.

A heavy sigh escaped as Reina leaned back in the chair. Rubbing her eyes, she answered saying, "Your assumptions are correct." She looked back at the wizard with exhaustion written all over her face. "It feels as though the spell is draining my energy while trying to keep from fading. Because of that I have had to excuse myself to the restroom several times this week just so I could get a reprieve. Not to mention it's affecting my sleep."

"I see." Dumbledore propped his elbows up on his desk, fingertips pressed together lightly. "Have you noticed anything else that seems odd or unusual?"

"Actually I have. Lately I've been losing control of my powers. It's normal for me to slip up occasionally, but things are going wrong with the simplest techniques."

"Why didn't you come to me like I instructed you?"

This caught Reina off guard. Dumbledore did talk to her about coming to him, and she remembered that quite clearly. She redirected her gaze to the fireplace, where all remnants of a recent fire were gone. "There are more urgent issues that need attention beside my own. I thought it would pass, that I could take care of it myself." She paused and then continued in a voice barely above a whisper. "I'm used to dealing with things alone."

Dumbledore slowly dropped his hands and placed them palms down on the desktop. "Reina, you are not alone. You don't have to hide these things; we're here to help you. Please understand that." This appeared to work because Reina fixed her lavender eyes on the wizard. With her attention given, Dumbledore began again.

"Now, I am at a loss for what's causing this reaction to the spell, but I assure you I will find out. In order to do that I will need your cooperation, meaning you must do what I ask. Reina, do you trust me enough to do that?"

There was a long silence following Dumbledore's words, during which the half-demon stared intently back into the soft blue eyes behind those half-moon spectacles. Reina was strangely reminded of her father then. The tenderness embedded in the man's gaze matched that of Darikk when he would look at his daughter. Like a pendulum transferring motion, the thought of that unnatural kindness gave the push to bring up another memory, one where that same sincerity was also directed towards Reina. It was Marina. Reina was only a few weeks old when it happened, but she could still recall the lingering memories of her mother's gentle touch.

Reina's fingers rubbed over the ring hanging from the chain around her neck. "Yes," she said at long last. "I trust you. You trusted me so now I must return the favor."

"Good. Is there anything else going on that you haven't told me?"

Before answering, Reina remembered the promise she made to Harry the other night. She swore she would get help. And that's exactly what she planned to do. "Yes, there is." Over the next half hour, Reina and Dumbledore discussed the unexplainable episodes that had been coming over the half-demon.

"I suggest we set up an examination with Madam Pomfrey. Hopefully she will be able to confirm or disprove my theory." The wizard took out a clean piece of parchment, dipped his pen into the ink bottle, and began writing out a letter to the magical nurse.

"Um, sir, what is your theory?" the half-demon asked feeling much better.

"In time, my dear child. In time." Dumbledore replied without looking up from his work. "First, there is one more subject matter that we must discuss." Reina kept quiet while he finished up his writing. A minute or two later, the feather was laid down and the parchment folded up. "Have you thought about telling Harry the truth?"

"I haven't lied to him." Reina said sheepishly.

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Alright, then how about showing him the truth." Long slender fingers gestured to the girl who let fall the lock of blue hair she was occupying her own fingers with.

"Uh, yeah." The half-demon's arm fell back onto the arm of the chair.

"I will take that as a 'no'. Do you know _how_ you are going to tell him?" Reina shook her head. "Well I suggest you devise a way over the next couple of days. I've already sent out a request to the Weasley household for you to visit on Christmas day. After thinking it over, the idea of a cousin for a gift began to sit nicely with me, and I believe Harry would enjoy it also."

Throughout the whole time it took him to say it, Dumbledore was calm and collective as though there was absolutely nothing wrong. On the other hand, Reina was staring at the man in disbelief, her lips slightly parted in awe. She was speechless, unable to work through this bombshell. Eventually, when her senses returned, the half-demon could speak but wasn't sure of what to say.

"Are you serious?" she managed to get out.

"Quite. You can thank Miss Soran. She's the one who gave me the idea." He didn't know why, but Dumbledore was enjoying the liveliness in the girl's eyes, despite it being made up of confusion, nervousness, understanding, and a hunger for revenge. "If there is nothing else you wish to talk about then you may go. But please report to the Hospital Wing tomorrow night after dinner. I will not be there, however, I will speak to Madam Pomfrey ahead of time."

"Thank you, sir."

Reina stood up with haste, the chair rocking from the force, and went to the door. As she closed the door behind her, she heard Dumbledore clear his throat. She popped her head back into the room. "Yes?"

"Be sure to come her to my office at midday on Christmas."

With a curt nod the half-demon disappeared into the stairwell outside. Skipping several steps as she ran down, Reina made it to solid ground in a few seconds and continued to run through the halls. It was time for a stern talking with the mischievous wind demon.

It didn't take long for the young shadow demon to reach the library where Kaze and Kiku were according to a telepathic message she received during her meeting with Dumbledore. Walking towards the back, Reina tried to suppress the urge to yell at the wind demon as soon as she sees her. As hard as that was she managed t pull it off when she turned the corner.

"You and I are going to have a talk later."

Kaze cocked her head at he friend's words. At first she was unsure what Reina was talking about, but then it occurred to her where the half-demon had come from. "So, I take it you know your plans for Christmas." she said smirking.

"Huh?" Kiku looked from one girl to the other in confusion. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you later."

"Oh, come one. Don't leave me out!" the water demon whined.

"Later. Now what are we doing here?"

Kiku stopped pouting and suddenly became serious. "Something strange is going on with Malfoy. Last night after our fight, Draco left the common room following Snape. I found it suspicious so I sent Hashi after him." She paused to stroke the fox pup in her lap. "It turns out that Draco snuck into Slughorn's party. Snape caught him and they were talking about something in the next room. It sounded like they were planning. And what makes it really weird was that Draco blew up at Snape and he said nothing."

"How did a fox tell you this?" Kaze interrupted.

"You know how I can see and hear what Mayoke can?" asked Reina before Kiku could explain. The shorter girl nodded. "Same basic concept." There was a soft 'oh' from Kaze and then they directed their attention back to Kiku. "What are they planning?"

The water demon shrugged. "I don't know. They didn't say anything definite, just a lot of odds and ends. But I'm going to keep an eye on him."

"Ok, just be careful. We don't want, nor can we afford, to have Malfoy find out about us, especially you. It could end your days at Hogwarts."

"Stop being so paranoid, Rei." Kaze chirped as she poked the girl next to her in the arm. She smiled wide when Reina smacked her hand away and gave her a look that could kill.

While this little exchange was going on, the librarian had walked to the back where their table was. She stood waiting next to the table expecting the girls to notice. They didn't. "Ahem," Suddenly the three girls stopped their bickering and stared at the woman. "The library will be closed for the next hour so I must ask you to leave." Madam Pince said sharply.

"Yes, ma'am."

The girls collected their belongings and hurried out of the library. Once they were out in the hall, Hashi poked his head out of Kiku's bag. The water demon took him out and placed him on the ground. Hashi then took off down the hall. "So, what's this about Christmas plans?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Happy Christmas everyone!"

Mrs.Weasley's jubilant wish had everyone at the Burrow smiling. It was Christmas morning and the boys had finally joined the rest of the crowd downstairs. The kitchen was overflowing with the sweet aroma of a delicious holiday meal, which spilled into the adjoining rooms. The Weasley's and their guests sat in the living room enjoying the smell. When it got closer to midday, Ginny and Fleur aided Mrs.Weasley in setting the table.

"Oh, Ginny, dear. Add one more plate at the end."

"But there's only ten of us." Ginny grumbled as she took another plate from Fleur.

"We have one more person coming. Oh, I hope we have room." Mrs.Weasley waved her wand commanding the stuffing to take flight to the table.

Harry, Ron, and the twins entered the room at that time, catching the last part of the conversation. "So Tonks is coming?" Ron asked as he sat down. Harry followed suit, but the twins remained standing.

"No, I'm afraid Tonks is busy. It's actually one of you classmates, Ron. Dumbledore sent me a letter asking if she could come visit today. He was quite vague on the reason though." his mother replied.

"She?" Fred and George said surprised. They looked at each other and then to Ron with matching grins. Silently agreeing to take the opportunity to gang up on their brother, they approached Ron's chair.

"What?" The youngest Weasley son immediately knew something was up.

"It's a _she_, Ron." Fred said pretending to sound shocked.

"A _she_ from your school." George added.

"_She's_ can be girlfriends."

"Is this _she_ Ron's _she_?"

"Is it, Ronnie-kins?"

"Shut up!"

"Come on. Tell us." and "We won't blab to anyone else." Entered Ron's ears from both sides. He almost threw his fist out at one of them, but instead went with a different approach. "Mom!"

The loud banging of a steel pot against wood made everyone jump. All eyes darted towards Mrs.Weasley, whose patience was obviously wearing thin. "Fred! George! Leave Ron alone and go help your father!" she shouted with her hands placed on her hips. Without another word, a few chuckles maybe but not a word, the twins exited the room. After watching her sons leave, Mrs.Weasley crossed the room and opened the top drawer under the countertop. "Here it is. Dumbledore says her name is…"

A knock was heard from the front door interrupting Mrs.Weasley. Some shuffling went on in the front room as someone got up to answer the door. Ron, who was now officially annoyed, roughly pushed back his chair and went to see who was there. Harry stood, a lot gentler with his own chair, and followed the redhead boy. They entered the room from the side, watching as Mr.Weasley opened the door. From their position the boys couldn't see the visitor, but Ginny could and she bolted to the door.

"Hey! Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Ginny asked excitedly.

"I didn't know until a few days ago." Came a female voice.

"You can't imagine how happy I am to see you. I've been surrounded by immature guys ever since we got home." This made Fleur frown from the doorway. "Come in." Ginny grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled her into the house.

"Reina!" Harry and Ron said in unison.

Mr.Weasley glanced at the two boys before returning his attention to the brunette next to him. "I take it your name is Reina?" The girl nodded. "Welcome, Reina. I am Arthur Weasley." He closed the door after Ginny dragged Reina farther in, and then he walked over to Mrs.Weasley. "This is my wife Molly, my son Bill, the twins Fred and George, Fleur Delcour, and Remus Lupin." he said pointing out everyone.

There were some "Hello's" and "Welcome's" from the room's occupants. With a smile Reina returned the friendly greetings. As she glanced at each person in turn, she noticed that the man Mr.Weasley introduced as Remus Lupin was staring at her with a strange look in his eyes. The half-demon couldn't study him for long because Ginny ushered her across the room just as Mrs.Weasley called for everyone to come to the table.

Towards the end of the meal, people sat back one by one with their eyes bigger than their stomachs. A few conversations arose as plates were cleared, but none of them contained the shock and surprise that came with the knock on the door. When Mrs.Weasley answered it, there were several shocked faces at the sight of the young man standing in the doorway, some of them turning to scowls pretty fast.

"Percy!"

"Hello, Mother."

Following Percy into the house was an old man wearing a smile that was beginning to creep out the half-demon. Reina remained quiet while the strange man and Percy were talking to the family. Eventually the old wizard announced his identity as Rufus Scrimgeour, the new Minister of Magic. With no clue as to what that meant Reina was still in the dark about what was going on. She felt weird being a part of it when she shouldn't be. She felt even weirder when Harry left to show Scrimgeour around the garden.

"Reina," Lupin addressed her in a whisper. "Why don't you accompany me to the living room? This is a family affair and I don't think it wise that we stay."

The half-demon was grateful for this and followed the man into the next room. As they walked out of the kitchen, Lupin caught his foot on the rug and stumbled forward. Reina grabbed his hand to help him, but almost immediately let go as a shiver ran down her spine. Before she could stop herself, the sudden accusation tumbled out. "You're not human!"

Lupin hastened her farther into the room despite Reina's protests. When he let go of her shoulder, she spun around to face him. The small smile gracing Lupin's lips was totally unexpected. "You've confirmed my suspicions, Reina." he said. Now the half-demon was utterly confused.

"What are you?" Reina asked taking a step away from the man.

"A werewolf." replied Lupin bluntly. "But you don't have to fear me. I am a friend of Dumbledore's, and I was a friend of your mother's." He watched as the girl's eyes widened slightly, but then went emotionless.

"Remus? I remember my mother mentioning you in her journals. You were very close to Sirius and my Uncle James."

The man nodded, glad that he didn't have to explain. "You've disguised yourself well." he said sitting down in a chair. "How do you like Hogwarts?"

Crossing her arms, Reina shifted her weight to the other foot; she was too full to sit down. "It's as wonderful as my mother said it was. And Dumbledore is terrific. He really cares about every one of his students." she said sounding a bit dazed.

The Order member leaned back in the chair. "It seems you have collected a good deal of knowledge from Marina's old journals." Reina's mouth morphed into a half-smile. Lupin couldn't help but to comment on that face. "You look just-"

"Like Marina." Interrupted Reina. "I know. I've heard that more times than I care to remember." She concluded nonchalantly.

Lupin gave her a curt laugh at the slight exasperation on the half-demon's face. "I'm sure you're tired of hearing it. You and Harry are victims of heredity I'm afraid. Must run in the family."

With a sigh Reina murmured, "It just might." She closed her eyes, but suddenly reopened them at the sound of the door closing. There were some voices exchanging words then Harry called out the half-demon's name. A second later the boy entered the room.

"There you are. What are you two doing in here?"

Lupin looked up at Reina who gazed back at him with a serious face. "Could you excuse us? I need to talk to Harry." She said. The man stood up slowly. As he walked passed her, Reina heard the whisper of "Good luck." The half-demon finally turned to Harry once Lupin was out of the room. Ignoring the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, she looked at the boy straight in the eye. "Is there someplace we can talk in private?"


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry for the long wait for an update. My priorities have been a bit scattered lately. Hopefully you can forgive me. Btw, Kaze is currently unavailable to help with the A/N so I have someone else to help for this chapter.

Nobunaga: Hello peoples! I'm Nobunaga! I think you'll find this chapter really interesting, I sure did! Thanks for making it so entertaining, Kuro.

Kuro: I try. Now, I noticed in my reviews that some of you were frustrated with the little cliffy I left in at the end of chpt 14. This chpt is not a cliffy so you don't have to worry. But that doesn't mean their won't be more in the future. evil grin 

Nobunaga: Oh and thanks for ending the torturous cliffhanger of the last chapter! If you hadn't who knows whether I'd be here to help with the author's note? You readers should heed her warning, I have a feeling that when Kuro is feeling particularly sadistic, she'll toss in several more cliffhangers... trembles nervously 

Kuro: Yep. Ok, I own nothing but the OCs and their pets. Hope you enjoy and please review.

Nobunaga: Yes, everything she says is true. Reviews are welcomed and she owns nothing but her OCs.

Review Responses:

Ficrocks- Lol, I know cliffies are torture for the readers. But they're a lot fo fun for the author. Like I said this chpt isn't a cliffy so now violence or threats neccessary.

C K Brook- Thanks, glad you like it. I'll try to find more time to write so I can update sooner.

Black Roses of Death- Sorry, about that, Serenity. Heh, but hey, now you can see what Harry says.

Amatoya- Yes, Hashi does kick ass. He's our favorite little fox pup of the HP world.

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 15

The door to the attic opened, creaking with every inch it moved. Reina walked into the small room serving as Ron and Harry's bedroom for the time being. Harry closed the door after he entered and then turned back to the girl. She had her back to him, instead looking out the small circular window on the opposite wall.

"Reina," Harry said softly.

Harry's voice drew the half-demon out of her thoughts. She moved her head to glance back at the boy then spun the rest of her body around. Keeping her arms folded over her belly in an attempt to calm the jumpiness, Reina took a deep breath.

"Please sit down."

"Thank you."

Both teenagers sat down on a separate bed facing each other. They sat in silence for several minutes, neither of them knowing how to start a conversation. After a few more minutes of the unnerving lack of sound, Harry decided to speak first.

"How have you been?" he asked.

"Not bad. And yourself?"

"I'm alright."

"That's good to hear."

Harry leaned forward on his arms and gave Reina a questioning look. "Are you sure you're feeling okay? You haven't had anymore…" He stopped mid-sentence because he was unable to find a word to describe whatever had been coming over Reina.

The half-demon gave him a small smile. "I took care of it like I promised." She said. The awkward silence returned, but didn't last as long this time. "Harry, I know this is going to sound weird, but just bear with me." She waited for the boy to give her some kind of sign to continue; he nodded. "Okay, do you know all of your parents' siblings?"

Her statement about this being weird was something Harry agreed with after hearing the question. "Yes," he answered. "My mother's sister and brother-in-law are who I've stayed with all my life. And my father was an only child."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course." Once he said this Harry realized that no one had actually told him specifically that James was the only Potter child. _'But if he had a sibling, why wasn't I left with them instead of the Dursleys? If there was another magical relative of mine left alive, surely Dumbledore would have put me in their care. Wouldn't he?' _These thoughts suddenly began to unnerve Harry. He looked back to Reina who was still waiting for him as though he had more to say. "Well, no one has ever told me any different."

"How would you feel if your father did have a brother or sister?" Reina said eagerly. For some reason unknown to her, she was starting to get excited about telling him. _'Maybe he'll like to know that I'm his cousin. Dumbledore said Harry would and he knows him well enough.'_

The young wizard went quiet. How _would_ he feel if he had someone from his father's side? He had never really thought about it since he always believed James to be an only child. Of course he'd wished there was someone else after living with the Dursleys all his life. After putting up with those people, who wouldn't want to escape. But was there another reason besides his current home life that would leave Harry wishing he had family to love him and for him to love?

"I guess," he began. "That I would be grateful to have a piece of my dad's life living during my own time. Knowing that if something ever happens to me, the Potter bloodline could still live on really makes me believe that my parents will always live on through their descendants."

Such an unexpected answer like the one Harry just gave left Reina in a state of shock. She was looking for a simple one or two emotion answer, not one so complex and depressing as this. "Harry, nothing is going to happen to you."

"Maybe so, but I can't rely on that with what's going on." Harry said sternly.

"Let's not talk about that." The half-demon didn't want to think about the war. There may not be a way to escape Voldemort's intimidation over the world, but that didn't mean they had to stop enjoying life because of it.

"Then what are we talking about?" the boy questioned curiously. "Where is this going?"

Reina let out the breath she was unaware that she was holding. _'It's now or never.'_ She could feel her grip in the concealing spell loosening because of her scrambled thoughts. Out of instinct her hand went to her pocket where the vial of potion was that Madam Pomfrey gave her. Reina pulled her hand away. There was no sense in wasting a potion when she had to remove the spell soon anyway. Instead she opened the schoolbag she'd brought with her and pulled out a photo album.

Harry watched as the half-demon flipped through the pages of the album. When the off-white pages stopped turning, Reina spun the book around so that it faced the wizard. "Look at this." she commanded as she handed the book to him. Looking down at the photos, Harry recognized the man in them as his father when he was young. Next to James was a woman at least two or three years younger. Harry looked back up at Reina suspiciously.

"Why do you have a picture of my dad?"

"I know the woman next to him."

With a quick glance at the photo, Harry asked, "Who is she?"

"James's little sister." Reina said softly.

Dropping his eyes fully back to the photo, Harry watched in silence as the two people moved around the background. James was holding a book up high in one hand and holding back the woman with his other. After a few seconds of being toyed with, the woman used her bigger book to hit James in the stomach knocking the wind out of him. Once she regained her belonging, she smiled at the camera as James grumbled something behind her while clutching his gut.

"They do act like brother and sister." Harry admitted. He set his gaze back on Reina. "How come I've never heard of her? No one who knew my parents has ever mentioned my father's sister."

"When James and Marina were still at Hogwarts, something that Marina did upset their parents to the point that they disowned her. After that she ran away and only kept in touch with James resulting in people's ignorance of her existence."

In a matter of just a few minutes, Harry's mind was full of questions and unsure of which to ask next. During his confused state his emerald eyes had dropped to the photo once again, but he could still see Reina in his sight. When his brain caught up with his vision, he no longer looked upon the half-demon but at the woman called Marina. However, there wasn't much difference between the two. Their facial features resembled each other a lot. Suddenly there was one question in particular that pushed its way to the front of Harry's mind.

"How do you know her?" the young man said sternly with suspicion evident in his voice.

Unlike the last set of questions, Reina didn't answer this one right away. She thought she'd conquered her nerves on the stairs, but apparently not. Pulling her left leg up onto the bed, she tucked it under her thigh. She kept her eyes on Harry as she opened her mouth. "She was my mother."

Harry's lips parted in awe at Reina's words. _'Her mother? How is that possible? She told me before that her mother was dead. But if it's true that would explain why Dumbledore didn't leave me with her. And yet Reina lives with her father so I could still have stayed with them, unless Marina's lover didn't want me.'_

"Your mother?" he voiced after the initial shock.

"Yes."

"My aunt is your mother. That makes you my…" Harry trailed off as he realized just how much this knowledge affected him.

"Cousin." Reina finished for him. "I am your cousin. And it gets worse."

Harry raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Worse? How is us being cousins bad?"

"I-It's not! I just thought that you…well…" Reina dropped her head with a sigh. "I'm not sure it will be easy for you to accept me as your cousin once you learn what I am."

Before Harry could question the girl's train of thought, she reached out to the photo album and turned the page. When she pulled her hand back, Harry saw a picture of Marina a few years older and a man that wasn't James. This man stood with Marina wrapped in his embrace, both wearing smiles containing a small does of the powerful love they have for each other. However, this only held Harry's attention for a mere second. Stealing his focus was the man's appearance; pointed ears in plain sight and a strange symbol on his forehead.

"A demon!"

Harry nearly dropped the album at what he saw. He quickly fumbled with the thick book to keep it from hitting the floor. A he did so, Reina reached out to catch it, which she did when Harry failed to keep it up. "Careful!" she said sitting back with the album in her arms. "This thing is old."

"What is a demon doing with your mother?" Harry asked dumbly as if it weren't obvious.

"His name is Darikk and he's my mother's husband." Stated Reina after she closed the photo album and placed it on the bed. "In other words, he's my father."

The famous teen furrowed his brow. "How can that happen between a human and a demon?" he asked, his mind floating in a cloud of confusion. He could accept the fact that he had an aunt and that Reina was his cousin. However, Harry wasn't sure how he felt with a demon as an uncle. The demons he met in Care of Magical Creatures didn't seem dangerous and deadly like rumors portray them. But they were friends of Hagrid, the one person who remarkably makes the most dangerous things seem harmless.

"Believe it or not, humans and demons are very similar. Both can be in human form and both are capable of speaking the human tongue. Because of the similarities it is easy for the two species to mate." Reina explained. She couldn't read what Harry was feeling by the look on his face, but it wasn't from lack of trying.

When Harry remained quiet, Reina relaxed her muscles and let the concealment spell fade away. She kept her eyes closed, but she could still hear Harry's reaction, which he made no attempt to keep quiet. The sudden gasp and a loud thud convinced the girl to open her eyes. All she could see was her cousin's feet sticking up in the air on the far side of the bed.

"Harry!" Reina pushed off the bed she'd been sitting on and rushed around the furniture. "Are you okay?" She knelt down next to the boy toppled over on his back. As she held out her hand to help him, Harry scrambled to his feet and backed away.

"It's you!" Harry's voice echoed off the bare walls of the attic. "The one from Hagrid's class!"

"Harry, please keep your voice down. I don't want to scare anyone." The half-demon pleaded.

"You don't want to scare anyone? I'm pretty sure you've passed that right up." Harry snapped.

Reina cringed at the stabbing tone. He was angry it seemed, but was it true anger or was he just covering up some other feeling. "You're right and I'm sorry. But I couldn't think of any easier way to show you."

Unsure of how to take this, Harry stared at the creature he once thought was human. He bravely took a step forward and asked, "What are you?"

"I'm a half-demon; half human, half demon." was Reina's simple reply. Mixed in with the visible anger on Harry's face was confusion. "I know this is hard to understand and even harder to accept, but you have to believe me. I have no intention of hurting you or anyone else. I'm still the same Reina you met at the beginning of term."

A loud knock on the attic door made both teenagers jump. Following the noise was the sound of Mrs.Weasley's voice. "Harry, dear. Are you all right? We heard a loud ruckus coming from up here."

After a moment of contemplation for Harry and fear for Reina, the boy looked over his shoulder. "I'm fine." he called out. Looking back to Reina, he noticed that she had relaxed a bit after he answered Mrs.Weasley.

"Okay then." the Weasley mother said from outside the door. The two teenagers inside heard Mrs.Weasley start down the stairs, but then her steps retreated back up. "Oh, by the way, a young woman is here to see Reina. She says her name is Kaze." After adding this last piece of information, she went downstairs again.

Harry and Reina avoided looking at each other for the next awkward minute, neither moving nor saying anything. Unable to stand the sick feeling developing in the pit of her stomach, the half-demon turned and walked over to Ron's bed. She put the photo album back into her bag, which she then slung over her shoulder. As she stood up straight again, the she removed a small vial from her pocket and gulped down its contents, her scrunched up face giving the sign of a disgusting aftertaste.

"What is that?" Harry asked suspiciously, arms crossed over his chest.

Reina faced him with a firm look that Harry couldn't read into. He felt those lavender eyes fixed on him and he had to struggle to keep the shiver at bay that threatened to run down his spine.

"A potion that hides my demonic traits. Normally I would use a concealment spell, but I've been reacting unusually to it lately."

"You mean your lapses?"

"It could have something to do with that, but we're not sure." As Reina was saying this, Harry watched as her appearance began to change back to that of a human. Once the transformation was complete, the half-demon approached the tense young man. "I shouldn't keep Kaze waiting. She's not one for being very patient."

Harry nodded and stepped aside to allow the girl to pass him. Reina walked out of the room and downstairs, Harry following from a safe distance. The two entered the kitchen where Mr. and Mrs.Weasley, Bill, Fleur, and Lupin were sitting. "There you two are. Behaving yourselves, were you?" Bill teased. The others, with the exception of Lupin, laughed a bit at this incentive, but Harry and Reina saw no amusement in Bill's joke. "What's wrong?" the eldest Weasley child said when the teens remained somber.

"Nothing." replied Harry.

The half-demon glanced over to her cousin for a mere second, and then addressed the adults. "Thank you so much for allowing me to join you her in your home, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. You are very kind." She retrieved her cloak from the coat rack and put it on. "It was really nice meeting all of you."

As she opened the door to leave, Lupin stood up from his seat at the table. "I'll accompany you out." he said. Reina stopped and looked back at the man. Understanding his intentions, she nodded. Before he went over to the half-demon, Lupin came up behind Harry. "Don't go anywhere." he whispered and then left with Reina.

The two inhuman creatures walked along the path leading from the house. Immediately they found the Weasley children and Kaze having a snowball fight in the yard. Reina waited for Lupin to speak instead of calling for the wind demon.

"How did it go?" the werewolf questioned, although he could pretty much tell the answer by the melancholy face the young woman wore.

"It could have been better." was the expected and given reply.

"Don't fret over it. I'll talk to Harry and surely Dumbledore will, too." He put a comforting hand on Reina's shoulder.

With a sad smile, the half-demon said, "Thank you. And that reminds me." She opened her bag and removed a small parcel, which she handed to Lupin. "Please give this to Harry, and this." The second thing she gave to him was an envelope addressed to Harry in handwriting that Lupin recognized as Dumbledore's.

"Of course."

"Thank you."

Reina turned while putting her gloved on and walked away. As she reached the other teens, goodbyes were said and the two demons started off. But they only got a few feet down the path before Kaze stopped suddenly.

"What are you doing?" Reina asked.

Kaze didn't answer, but instead turned back to where the others were about to go inside. An evil grin graced her lips and she raised her head up high. _"See you later, moron."_ she said telepathically. A few seconds later both the girls heard a clear scream undeniably belonging to Ron. Letting out a triumphant "Ha!", Kaze continued down the dirt path with Reina at her side.

-----

When Lupin entered the house, Harry was waiting for him in the living room. He walked in and sat down in one of the cushioned armchairs, ignoring the bewildered look on Harry's face. Leaning forward he placed the parcel and the letter on the wooden coffee table. "Those are for you." he said.

"What are they?" asked Harry as he moved to the table.

"Why don't you look and find out."

Harry was unsure how to interpret Lupin's tone, which was flat and slightly cold. However, he did as the man said and picked up the two items. He glanced back to Lupin before sitting in a nearby chair. The letter he assumed was from Dumbledore because of the recognizable handwriting. Harry folded the envelope over and stuck it in his pants' pocket deciding to read it later. He then took a closer look at the small parcel. The paper taped to it read _To Harry From Reina. _A sour look found its way onto the boy's face.

From the adjacent seat, Lupin watched Harry's reaction closely. "Aren't you going to open it?" he asked when no movement was made to undo the neat wrapping.

"Maybe later." Harry placed the gift back on the table.

"Harry, I am disappointed in you." Lupin said, successfully catching the boy's attention and a quizzical look. "I've never known you to discriminate against a person just because of their background. Reina is a nice young woman and does not deserve the treatment you are giving her."

"You don't understand."

"Yes, I do." Lupin cut him off sternly. "You may not know the history that wizards and demons share so let me give a short outline. The two sides as a whole hate each other. Demons aren't welcome amongst humans, muggle or not, and vice versa. So imagine what would become of someone who is neither human or demon but a mixture of both species. They are welcome by no one for a reason that they have absolutely no control over."

As he listened to his elder, Harry suddenly felt a pang of guilt in his stomach, which only grew worse from Lupin's words. However, he still possessed his anger that was battling to overcome the guilt. "But she lied to me. Why wasn't I told of this sooner?"

"Reina didn't want to lie to you, but it was the only way she could gain your trust and keep from being discovered." Lupin explained. "That girl has been through hell her entire life. Coming to Hogwarts gave her the opportunity to start anew without anyone knowing who she was. Telling you her secret at the beginning wouldn't have guaranteed the keeping of it."

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but snapped it shut at the look Lupin was giving him. "I'm sorry, Remus. I am still trying to sort everything out."

"I understand that, but don't blame it on someone who was only trying to protect you. Now, I should be going. Merry Christmas, Harry." Lupin stood up and walked out of the room, clasping Harry on the back as he passed.

"Merry Christmas."

Later that night, Harry lie awake in his bed wishing his eyelids would remain closed. After everything that happened earlier in the day, he just couldn't sleep. Too many thoughts were swimming around his head. Ron, on the other hand, was sleeping perfectly fine despite having been told by Harry about Reina. Although, he was a bit shaky before Harry said anything. Ron claimed that it was because he heard Kaze when she was nowhere near.

Eventually Harry grew bored of counting the crack in the wood of the ceiling. He sat up, leaned over the side of the bed, and retrieved the envelope from his discarded blue jeans. Pulling up on the wax seal, Harry removed the letter tucked inside.

_Dear Harry, _

_By the time you read this you will already know Reina's secret. I'd __imagine that you are upset and confused. When you return to school I will be available to answer any questions you might have. I highly recommend you come to my office to talk. Enjoy what's left of the holiday break. _

_Albus Dumbledore _

Harry fell back against the wall with a sigh. Dumbledore's recommendation to speak with him was actually an order, which Harry knew. This whole thing was becoming incredibly stressful and it hasn't even been twenty-four hours. In just one day Harry got a deceased aunt, a demon uncle, and a half-demon cousin. What else could happen to make his life even harder?

He glanced over to the bedside table after putting the letter back into the envelope. The package from Reina rest on top of the wood surface next to his glasses. Grabbing his glasses and putting them on, Harry tore off the red wrapping paper around the parcel. For a moment he held the small box in his hand, and then he opened it carefully. Inside resting on a soft, velvet base was shiny golden plaque with the letters HP printed in bold. Harry was initially unsure what it was, but then he remembered seeing similar plaques on the handles of broomsticks. A small smile crept onto his face as he closed the box again. He then noticed the piece of parchment taped onto the lid.

_Harry, _

_I hope this is a suitable gift for a grand Quidditch player. _

_Reina_


	16. Chapter 16

We're back!

Kaze: Yes, and I'm back as well. Sry for not being here last time, I had some family issues to deal with. But I'm back and ready for more fun.

Kuro: And there's sure to be more of that.

Kaze: Oh the havoc we'll make.

Kuro: Muwahahaha!

Kaze: Yes, please remember we own nothing but ourselves and our pets. And please review.

Kuro: This story has over 30 reviews which I'm very happy about. We need your help to get that number even higher. So listen to Kaze.

Kaze: (smile) Now on with the story!

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 16

Partially glad to be back at Hogwarts, Harry and Ron walked up the many flights of stairs on their way to the Gryffindor tower. Once they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, the boys were denied access by a faulty password. Ginny, who had also come up with them, didn't know the new password either.

"Harry, wait!"

The three students turned towards the familiar voice behind them. Hermione came running over and stopped next to Ginny. "I got back a few hours ago. The password is abstinence." The Fat Lady swung the door open for the children. Just as they were about to enter, a call of "Won-Won!" halted their progress. When Lavender approached them, Hermione pushed past Harry and into the common room. Ginny and Harry followed her, leaving Ron to deal with his woman.

"I'll see you two later." Ginny said before running off to the girls' dormitory.

Harry looked around the common room and then plopped down into a chair in a relatively secluded area. Hermione sat on the couch across from him. She stayed quiet as she watched her friend survey the room fervently. "Are you looking for someone?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh, um, not really." Harry's observant eyes stopped darting back and forth. It was then that Ron joined them, taking a seat next to Harry.

"So, what are you going to do about Reina?" the redhead questioned.

Harry slouched down in his chair and sighed. "I have no idea. This isn't exactly a situation I am in often."

"Why do you think this all came out now? Dumbledore has had almost six years to tell you but he didn't." Ron said in a thoughtful tone.

"Wha-" Hermione tried to speak but was cut off.

"There's got to be a good reason. It's not like Dumbledore to withhold information like this."

"Dumbledore?"

"I guess I'll find out soon enough since I have a meeting with him."

"What the hell are you talking about!"

The boys ceased their chatter at the sudden outburst. They stared at Hermione in awe, speechless after hearing something like that come out of their friend's mouth. Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "Now that I have your attention, what is going on?"

"I found out over the break that I actually have family still living on my dad's side." Said Harry. Hermione's eyes widened and her lips parted. "Before you say anything you should know that it's not what you think. Supposedly my dad had a sister who was disowned by their parents when she fell in love."

"James had a sister? What was her name?"

"Marina." Ron answered. He earned himself a dirty look from Hermione for his input. "I'm just trying to help, Hermione." he said irritated.

"Well, don't. This is Harry's story."

Now rather frustrated, Ron stood up abruptly and stormed away. Harry watched him cross the common room and disappear up the stairs to the boy's rooms. Once Ron was out of view, he looked back to Hermione who was staring at her feet. _'This is getting old.'_ he thought, sinking into his chair a bit more.

"Did Dumbledore know?" the girl asked after a couple moments of silence. Harry nodded. "Then Ron was right, there must be a good reason for the secrecy. But how does Reina tie into all of this?"

Harry was no longer shocked by any of it, so he didn't sound very enthusiastic about anything. "Marina had a child before she died sixteen years ago. Reina just so happens to be that child."

"Reina is your cousin? So that's why she seemed so interested in you before. Why aren't you excited about this, Harry? Reina is a nice person, and I would assume she'd be fun to have as kin."

"She would if she didn't have a massive secret that could scare the whole school." the boy muttered. He sat up and leaned forward closer to Hermione. With a quick glance around them, Harry whispered, "Remember when I said the demons looked familiar?" A nod followed the question. "I wasn't wrong. The one with the blue hair was Reina. And there's no doubt the other two were Kaze and Kiku."

At first Hermione thought this to be Harry's suspicions taking over his ability to think clear. However, Harry wouldn't make up something like this, would he? Hermione recoiled slightly. "That would explain a lot." she said in thought.

Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "So you have actually renounced your claim on he logical explanations you came up with?" His cockiness in that statement earned him a dirty look, similar to the one thrown at Ron.

"Only once I talk to the girls." Hermione said sternly. "Speaking of which, where are they? I haven't seen Kiku or Kaze for a couple hours, and I haven't seen Reina at all since I got back." She looked around the room, which turned out to be useless since Kiku was a Slytherin and neither Gryffindor was in sight.

"Um, I don't know about Kaze, but Rei is probably upset with me." Harry mumbled guiltily.

"Why?"

"I wasn't very happy when she told me over Christmas."

"Damn straight."

Both Harry and Hermione were startled by the new addition to the conversation. Looking up they saw Kaze standing there with an unpleasant face.

"Oh, hello, Kaze." said Hermione.

"Hello, Hermione." the wind demon replied sweetly and then directed a glare back at Harry. "Have you had a change of heart?"

Harry turned away from the girl's intense gaze. "Yes, I know I was wrong to react that way. But you're not the one I should apologize to so I don't have to say anymore." He stated calmly, not intending to sound like a jackass, although he kind of did.

After watching the male stare at his feet for a moment, Kaze dropped down onto the couch next to Hermione. "Fair enough." she mumbled. "Good luck finding her though. She found even more hiding places over the break. I've given up on finding them all, but Kiku is still determined to locate the spots. She'll be a better help than me to track down Reina."

"You and Kiku are the other demons."

The wind demon blinked a few times. "Of course we are. Who did you think it was, lavender and Pavarti?" she said sarcastically. Hermione covered her mouth to hide a small laugh. Just the thought of Lavender and Pavarti trying to act ruthless prompted a chuckle.

"Are you really demons?" Harry asked with a questioning look in his eyes. Kaze didn't answer because his question was confusing. With a sigh at the frustration in this, the boy rephrased his words. "Are you demons or are you like Reina?"

Kaze continued to stare at him with a blank expression. "Oh!" she suddenly exclaimed causing Hermione to flinch. "You mean are we half-demons. No, no, no. Kiku and I are full-blooded demons."

"Okay. Can you tell me what the difference is?"

"Um…well," The girl kicked her shoes off and pulled her feet onto the couch. "Half-demons, while still having powers, usually aren't as strong as full-blooded demons. However, with training and hard work they can reach a level matching that of a demon. It's just a lot harder. Half-breeds' powers are limited, but they can sometimes do things that full fledged members of their species can't."

"It's a bit like cross-breeding two different species of animals. The offspring has characteristics of both parents." Hermione suggested her theory when Kaze paused. It was fairly easy for the young witch's sharp mind to pick up on the concept.

After contemplating the idea for a few seconds, Kaze smirked and nodded. "Yeah, that's a good example." Before she could say anything more, there was a loud crash from somewhere behind the kids. The three of them whipped around to see what was going on.

Students were screaming and shouting as they scurried around the room, dodging falling objects and each other. Among the chaos of angry people, three different blurs could be seen blazing through the common room; one black soaring thought the air, one black with a speck of white on the ground, and one pure white blur also on the ground.

"Mayoke!"

"Fireball!"

"Hashi!"

Reina and Kiku ran in from the portrait hole and Kaze jumped off the couch. The three animals paid no attention to their masters and continued to chase one another. Mayoke flew up to the highest point he could find so the cat could no longer chase him. With the bird gone, Fireball was left on the ground running from Hashi. The cat and fox did circles around some people's feet after doing laps around the furniture, and then made a dash for the still open portrait hole. Before they could make it out, both animals were plucked up off the ground. As they were being held away from each other, Fireball hissed at Hashi who growled back.

"Stop it, both of you." Kiku demanded in a motherly tone. She and Kaze rubbed their pets trying to calm them. Next to the girls, Reina turned around and looked up to the ceiling. She called out for Mayoke and waited until the raven floated down to land on her outstretched hand. When he landed, Reina saw that there was a letter attached to his leg. She quickly removed the paper and pocketed it.

"Um, girls," Harry walked over and stood next to the group. "We might want to get out of here."

Kiku looked at him strangely. "Why?" Harry pointed to the surrounding students. Several dirty looks were directed at the three demons and the animals they held. "Oh, good idea." Hermione joined them and the four Gryffindors and single Slytherin quickly left the scene.

Once outside in the hall, Hermione pulled Harry back to her side as they walked towards the Great Hall. Making sure the others couldn't hear them, she whispered, "When are you going to talk to Reina? You said yourself that you need to apologize to her."

"I don't know."

"The sooner the better."

"Yeah,"

The group came upon the double doors within minutes and continued to proceed into the Great Hall. Hermione nudged the boy in the arm as she passed. After a roll of his eyes, Harry walked forward. "Reina, could you hang back for a minute?" he said stepping to the side of the doors. The half-demon stopped and turned to face him. She glanced back to the others who made pushing gestures telling her to go on. She then looked to Harry again before moving to the side next to him.

"Want to go for a stroll?"

Reina nodded. The two teens went outside the castle and down to the lake. After making a fourth of a lap around the huge body of water, Harry finally spoke. "Thank you for the broomstick plate. It's really nice." he said, his hands buried deep in his pockets.

"I'm glad you like it." replied Reina.

Harry abruptly stopped walking. "Reina, I am really sorry for my behavior on Christmas."

The half-demon also froze and looked up at Harry. "It's okay. I didn't expect you to react any differently than you did."

"But I still should have been more understanding."

"Harry, listen to me." With a gentle touch, Reina covered her cousin's hand with both of hers. "You have a lot of things going on in your life right now. The last thing you need is a burdensome cousin. That's why I didn't tell you sooner. I wanted to give you time to overcome the grief from the events at the Ministry. You have nothing to be sorry for."

Something in the young woman's tone put Harry's mind at ease. No longer did he feel as guilty as he had before. Instead he felt surprisingly relieved, and a bit hungry. They were missing lunch after all.

"You want to get something to eat, cousin?" Harry asked smiling. His smile was matched by that the half-demon expressed.

"Of course."

Both teenagers turned and started back to the castle. "You're not going to suddenly become unbearably annoying, are you?" said Harry when they were a few yards from the door. He waited but there was never an answer. His head turned to where Rein was only moments before and now was empty. From behind him a pair of hands pushed on his back making Harry lose his balance and stumble forward. Quickly standing back up straight, he looked around to see his cousin at the door.

"Maybe!" she hollered before escaping into the castle with Harry chasing after her.

When Harry and Reina entered the Great Hall they saw a group of people gathered around the center next to the Gryffindor table. As they got closer they could see Ron and Hermione holding back a furious Kaze. Opposite them were Malfoy and his gang with Kiku standing in the middle looking pissed.

"Excuse me." Harry said while pushing through the crowd. "What's going on?"

"Looks like Malfoy started something." muttered Reina from next to him. "And Kaze is about to blow." She pushed past the remainder of people in her way, Harry right on her heels.

"Draco, stop acting like an asshole so we can eat." Kiku stated annoyed. This got the Malfoy heir to send her a glare, which had no affect on the hungry water demon. It was obvious that he wasn't going to back down unless someone physically dragged him away, and Kiku wasn't really in the mood to do that. "Whatever." she grumbled and then walked away to sit at the Slytherin table.

Since a small percentage of Hogwarts' students and staff still hadn't arrived back, there weren't any teachers or adult figures in the hall to stop anything destructive that might ensue. This seemed odd considering many kids were coming in for lunch. Apparently Malfoy caught this and decided to use it to his advantage for making trouble.

"What's wrong? Will Weasley and Granger not let the little girl try to fight?" Malfoy taunted as Kaze was being held back.

"Let me go!" The wind demon jerked forward, successfully escaping her captors' grip. Before she could get close to Malfoy, Reina grabbed the shorter girl's upper arm pulling her back. Kaze swore under her breath when she saw who had a hold of her. "Rei, you hate him just as much as I do so let me go. You can even help me beat the shit out of him."

"What did he do that's got you so worked up?" the half-demon asked refusing to loosen her grip. The fury and determination in Kaze's grayish green eyes dimmed for a mere moment and then quickly redirected their gaze. Whatever Malfoy had done must have really affected the wind demon in a way that hit her to the core. Reina wasn't used to seeing her best friend in an emotional state, but she was still able to recognize it when she saw it. She didn't press the matter and instead turned to face the problem.

"Why don't you take your goons and be on your merry way, Malfoy?"

Malfoy glared at the girl with the sharp tongue; this one was really beginning to get on his nerves. He glanced around at the other people who gathered around as spectators, eagerly waiting for a fight to break out. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kiku sitting down with an obvious look of boredom on her face. "Let's go before I lose my appetite from the mere presence of these Gryffindors." he sneered. He then turned to walk to his seat.

As the bleach-blond retreated, Kaze watched him closely. Reina let go of her arm and, wasting no time, Kaze pulled out her wand, pointing it at Malfoy. _"Labor lapsus!"_ A flash of yellow shot out from the tip of the wand and flew straight to Malfoy's feet. Immediately the spell took affect causing the Slytherin boy to slip and fall to the floor. Malfoy tried to stand back up, but fell down yet again. While the slipping jinx continued to get the best of its victim, the onlookers were having a good laugh at the scene.

"Serves you right, Draco." Kiku snickered. She spun around on the bench and helped herself to the food on the table.

"Shut up!" growled Malfoy. "Now cast the counter spell."

"I can't very well cast a spell if I shut up."

"Just do it!"

"Fine, I'll fix it, Mr. Cranky." Kiku pointed her wand at her friend with one hand and took a drink of her juice with the other. Without verbally saying anything, she lifted the jinx. Malfoy stomped over to his seat when he was able to walk again and sat down with a disgruntled glare at the Gryffindor table.

After the group was broken up by the arrival of teachers, things returned to a relatively normal lunch. Harry and his friends settled into their seats to eat. Strangely, no one started up a conversation. The silence soon became unnerving. Harry glanced over to Kaze who was absently picking at the food on her plate with a fork. Next to her sat a worried half-demon.

"Kaze," Reina said softly.

"Huh?" The wind demon's head popped up from its drooping position. Reina's questioning stare was enough to inform Kaze of her concerns. "It was nothing, Rei. Don't worry about it." she said and then stuck a forkful of macaroni and cheese in her mouth.

"If it was nothing then you wouldn't be acting like this."

Kaze stared up at the girl from across the table. She yanked the fork out of her mouth and dropped it on the plate. The utensil made a clattering noise as it hit the plate. "He took a jab at our families." she said frustrated.

"Whose?"

"All of us." Ron answered from next to the wind demon. "He was saying crap about how poor my family is, that Hermione's parents are filthy muggles, and he rudely pointed out that Harry and the two of you didn't even have a family."

Reina now understood why Kaze was upset. Of the few things that bothered her, other than being called by her real name and snobby people, talking about her family was probably the one with the most affect on the wind demon. Kaze had been an orphan for most of her life, ever since her parents died when she was a little girl. When she grew a bit older she moved to the village where Darikk and Reina lived. The Krones soon found out that the young girl put up an illusion to hide her past.

"Kaze, forget about what Malfoy says. He's wrong. You have a family with me and Father and all of the friends you're surrounded by who care about you. Don't let anyone tell you different." Reina watched the wind demon closely as her words sunk in.

A smile found its way to the surface of Kaze's face. It was a weak smile, but a smile nonetheless. "Thanks." She picked up her fork again and began eating. "I still think you should have let me beat him to a bloody pulp."

"Yeah, I should have." replied Reina. She, too, filled up her plate with food and ate with the others.

* * *

Harry turned the last corner before reaching the phoenix statue. "Earwax." he stated loud enough to be heard by the stone figure. Luckily no one was around to see Harry almost trip over his own feet as he took up the stairs two at a time. He was granted entrance when he arrived at the top. Inside the office, Dumbledore was sitting at his desk waiting patiently for his visitor. 

"You're late." the Headmaster said smiling. He placed the piece of rough parchment that he'd been reading on the desktop.

"Sorry. I lost track of time."

"You're forgiven since this is not one of our usual meetings. For those I want you here on time. But the reason I called you here tonight is to discuss things between you and Miss Krone." Dumbledore leaned back slightly once Harry had taken a seat. "So, how are things between the two of you?"

"Fine, sir." the boy replied. "I apologized for the way I acted and Reina understood. I think I'll be okay with it all."

"Lupin said that things didn't go very well."

The young man swallowed nervously. "You talked to Lupin?" Dumbledore nodded. "I admit I was a jerk."

With a chuckle, Dumbledore raised his hands connecting his fingertips. "You said it, not I." he said gently. "Does this mean that you understand the reasons behind the secrecy?"

"Yes, Reina explained why she never said anything sooner. It would have jeopardized her safety as well as Kaze and Kiku's. She also said that she didn't want me to be overwhelmed by the news with everything that's happened."

When Reina sat down with him and explained everything, Harry had felt much better. He was learning a lot about James's sister and her family. He'd even asked the half-demon to teach him how to fight. Although, after seeing the 'friendly' sparring matches between the three demons he was having second thoughts. He already went through the pain of growing a new bone and he had no desire to go through it again.

"According to McGonagall you are getting along even better than before the holidays." The smile Dumbledore was wearing suddenly fell to a thin line. His voice grew serious. "Harry, I assume that Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger know about the girls' secret." He paused and waited for the slight nod of the boy's head. "It is crucial that no one else discover there are demons in Hogwarts."

"I know, sir. People would fear them and the girls would be in danger." Harry interrupted. He read through the chapter on demons in his copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_. From that he learned the history in detail between humans and demons. Like Lupin said, it wasn't pretty.

"I'm pleased that you have taken an interest in the subject of demons, Harry. As useful as they are, however, textbooks don't hold everything about everything. Not only would the girls be in danger from the students and other wizards, but also in the world's current situation there are higher authorities that would see them as a threat. The Ministry, for example, would be highly cautious and might possibly take them into custody."

"Custody?" Harry echoed with concern. "Where? They can't put them in Azkaban."

"They could if they see fit to."

The thought of the Ministry taking action never occurred to Harry, but he wasn't surprised. Scrimgeour was the kind of person who would do it just to spite whoever opposed him. Placing innocent people in Azkaban would anger Dumbledore. Scrimgeour could use that to force the Headmaster to do something for him. He might also use it to persuade Harry if he found out the connection between Harry and Reina.

"What can we do to prevent that from happening?" asked Harry, now slightly perturbed.

"All we can do it try our best to keep this information from falling into the wrong hands." Dumbledore said calmly. While Harry recovered from the blow of his cousin facing Azkaban, the Headmaster was deep in thought. The Ministry wasn't their only problem. There was someone out there who would be even more powerful if he could control three young demons.

"Harry,"

The Boy-Who-Lived lifted his head to look at Dumbledore.

"Azkaban isn't as bad as what else could happen if the girls are found out. You know that Voldemort uses any means necessary to get what he wants. And when he's done he'll dispose of whatever it was he used. If Voldemort learns that Hogwarts is housing demons with still developing powers, the world will face even more destruction."

Dumbledore didn't have to finish that thought for Harry to understand. Voldemort was worse compared to the wizard prison. The girls' lives would be at stake if the Dark Lord got a hold of them.

"I don't have to emphasize how important it is to keep this all a well kept secret." Dumbledore's words disrupted Harry's thoughts.

With a powerful determination in his eyes, Harry looked at the old wizard. "I'll make sure that doesn't happen."


	17. Chapter 17

Kuro: Guess who's back! I can't believe I haven't updated in over a month. I'm so sorry.

Kaze: Yeah, both of us are sorry, but we'll make it up to you guys with this chapter, I hope...

Kuro: And just so you don't kill us, I've already started chpt 18.

Kaze: Well that's something to look forward to when you're done.

Kuro: Yep, and you have pep rallies to thank for it.

Kaze: Oh, great, what fun...Anywho, please remember we own nothing but ourselves and our pets and please review.

Kuro: Don't worry, I don't enjoy pep rallies. I was writing during the whole thing. But yes, please review. And before I forget, if you want to check up on the progress of the next chpt see the fic stats on my profile.

Kaze: Now on with the fic.

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 17

The cold weather was starting to break and the snow on the ground was almost completely gone. What few piles were left around Hogwarts castle disappeared under the stomping feet of students. It was nearing the end of February and winter was slowly retreating.

"I can't believe I still screwed up."

"Ron, we've only had a few lessons. Not many people can get apparition to work for them after just a couple attempts at it."

Harry and Ron were walking through the grounds, wrapped up tightly in scarves and gloves since it was still chilly. They had just come from an apparition lesson with the instructor who got on almost everyone's nerves. Hermione declined the invitation to go for a walk leaving the boys to stroll alone. Not long into their second lap around the lake, Ron caught sight of Reina, Kaze, and Kiku sitting by an old willow, which, luckily for the guys, wasn't the infamous Whomping Willow.

"Weren't you looking for Reina this morning?" asked Ron as they turned off the path and headed for the girls.

"Yeah, I need to ask her something." Harry replied. When they got closer to the tree, the two Gryffindors spotted Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle walking towards the same tree from a different direction. "What are they doing here?"

The two groups stopped in front of the girls and stood opposite each other. After a short moment of intense glaring, Malfoy spoke. "Well, if it isn't Potter and Weasel. Come to retrieve your girlfriends, have you?" Crabbe and Goyle snickered behind their leader.

"And I presume you're here to fetch yours, Malfoy." Ron snapped back, but didn't seem to have any affect on the Slytherin.

"Kiku, come with us." demanded Malfoy. He crossed his arms and stood with a smirk expecting Kiku to obey him. It soon became apparent to him that she wasn't. He glanced over to see her still sitting against the tree reading a book. Reina and Kaze sat against other sides of the tree also reading. It appeared that none of the three young women had even noticed the men's presence.

"Kiku!"

"Shut up, I'm trying to read."

Harry didn't bother hiding the chuckle that escaped. Malfoy heard it and gave him a dirty look. Ignoring his long time enemy, the Gryffindor addressed his cousin. "Reina, I need to talk to you." Once again there was no answer. "Rei,"

"Hold on, I'm almost done."

Now it was Malfoy's turn to find this amusing. There was no sense in trying to get Kaze's attention since she was just as distracted as the other two. So the guys were left standing there like fools. Since Malfoy was not of patient nature, of course, he didn't want to wait, especially near Potter. Apparently Harry was thinking the same thing because they both walked up behind Kiku and Reina. They looked down at the books in the girls' hands, and simultaneously scrunched up their faces in disgust.

"Are those two…"

"…Guys?"

Harry and Draco ignored the fact that one had finished the other's sentence. They were too distracted by what they'd just seen. All three girls were reading what looked to be comic books, but the ones Kiku and Reina had were totally different from any comic book Harry has seen. The pages showed a rather unnerving scene with two men kissing passionately. Both books had different characters, but they were still males.

Their housemates' reactions captured the demons' attention. Tilting their heads back, Reina and Kiku saw the looks on the boys' faces. It was impossible for them not to laugh.

"What's wrong, Draco?" Kiku asked sweetly, her head still leaned back looking up at the Slytherin boy.

Reina turned the page in her book. Harry's already scrunched up face got worse as he averted his gaze. "A little yaoi won't hurt you."

"Kiku, now!"

"All right!" The water demon grudgingly closed her manga and stood up. "What's up your ass today?" Draco frowned at her before spinning on his heel and walking off. Crabbe and Goyle raced after him. "Sayoonara!" Kiku called back.

"Ja ne!"

Reina and Kaze got up off the ground, dusted of their pants, and strolled over to Ron with Harry right behind them. After just a few steps taken, someone called out to the wind demon. Four heads turned to view who was yelling.

"Athena?" Kaze muttered. She walked back to meet the strange girl halfway.

From where the other three stood they could see that the stranger was much taller than Kaze, like most other people. She appeared to be a couple years older as well. Too curious to let it go, Harry and Ron secretly cast a spell to amplify their hearing while Reina strained to hear with her own sensitive ears.

"Nice timing. I just finished it." said Kaze. She held out the manga she'd been reading to the girl. "Let me know when you get the next volume of Hellsing."

"Will do." Athena chirped. She turned to leave, but then caught sight of the retreating Slytherins. "Hey, Kaze,"

"Hm?"

"Is that blonde boy the prick you told me about?"

Kaze glanced over her shoulder towards the direction Athena was pointing. With a frown she replied, "Yeah. He talks shit about everyone. Nothing but a waste of space if you ask me."

Athena eyed Draco suspiciously as he walked towards the castle with his friends. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Kaze's wand protruding from her back pocket. "Maybe this will teach him a lesson." Before the wind demon could stop her friend, Athena snatched the wand and aimed the tip at Malfoy. _"Furnunculus!"_

The Gryffindors hastily looked to their classmates. At first nothing appeared to happen, but then Kiku could be seen backing up clutching her stomach. Crabbe and Goyle also backed away but with looks of disgust. Redirecting their hearing, the boys and demons could tell that Kiku was laughing so hard that she fell backwards onto the ground. The two thugs were stuttering incoherently while Malfoy demanded them to tell him what was so funny. Eventually one of them blurted out that their friend was covered in boils, which didn't go over so well with Malfoy. His reaction could be heard without a spell of any kind.

"Excellent, Athena!" exclaimed the wind demon. She turned and barely saw the girl's blonde ponytail before completely disappearing into the Dark Forest. "Goodbye to you too." She muttered as she walked over to the others.

"Who was that?" Harry asked with a chuckle over Malfoy's predicament.

"An old friend."

"Is she a demon as well?" said Ron.

Kaze tightened her ponytail. "Nope. She's part vampire, part werewolf, and part human." she answered nonchalantly. Her friends stared at her as if her head had sprouted wings and flew off her shoulders. "Don't ask. It's complicated."

Still staring at their vertically challenged friend strangely, the others nodded slowly. Kaze just rolled her eyes at them. Reina smirked and looked back in the direction of the Slytherin group. Her smirk disappeared, replaced by a nervous smile.

"Uh, we better get going." she said nodding her head towards their house's enemy. When her friends looked over they saw Malfoy glaring daggers at them. Not wasting anymore time, the four Gryffindors rushed off in the opposite direction to the castle.

- - -

"Miss Krone,"

Class was over and everyone was eager to get out of the classroom so they could start enjoying their weekend. Because of the chatter Reina almost didn't hear Slughorn call for her. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she weaved through the tables to the front. She quickly glanced back to see if any stragglers remained; Harry was patiently waiting by one of the tables. The half-demon smiled at her cousin before looking back to Slughorn.

"Yes, sir?"

"Ah, Reina, my dear. Yes, I have something for you." Slughorn picked up a large jar from the counter behind his desk. The glass jar was filled to the rim with a green liquid, which swayed in its container from the movement. "Madame Pomfrey told me to give this to you. She tells me that you have taken an interest in medicine and are working with her in your spare time." he said smiling at the girl.

Reina only returned his gesture with a small smile of her own. "It would appear that I have." she said trying to sound sincere. Slughorn gave her the jar and then sat down. Saying nothing more, the half-demon turned and walked back to where Harry was standing, carefully holding the jar securely in her arms. "Telling these lies so much is beginning to make me partially believe them."

Harry chuckled at this, and the thought occurred to him that sometimes he found himself lost in the lies. He quickly shook that notion out of his head. "Are we still on for tonight?" he asked. Reina's cheerful expression changed into a nervous one.

"I guess, but are you sure it's a good idea?"

"Come on, Rei. You'll be fine." Harry told her encouragingly. Sighing in defeat, Reina reluctantly agreed to their plans. "Good. I have to talk to Slughorn, so I'll catch up with you later." With a curt nod, the half-demon tightened her hold on the jar and left the classroom.

As she was walking past the hall leading to the Slytherin common room, Reina heard a soft sound coming from somewhere near. She stopped walking and stood there in the middle of the empty hallway. After waiting for a minute or two she heard it again. This time it was coming from a suit of armor to her right.

"Who's there?" Reina asked calmly.

"A giant squid." came the whispered response. "Who do you think?"

"Kiku, what are you doing behind that armor?"

There was a squeak and then a groan as the water demon squirmed out of the tight space. She almost managed to escape the tight spot, but as she pulled her foot out her shoe caught around the suit's ankle. After stumbling forward, Kiku regained her balance and turned to face Reina. Unfortunately the same could not be said about the suit of armor. Neither girl could react quickly enough resulting in a loud crash as the heap of metal fell to the stone floor. The thundering noise drowned out the soft gasps of the demons.

Footsteps reverberated off the walls as their owner jogged through the hall. When the man came to a halt in front of the pile of armor, he stared at it quizzically for a moment and then looked around the halls. "That's strange." He muttered taking out his wand. With a short incantation and a wave of the wand the armor levitated into the air and began putting itself back together. Once the décor was complete, the man looked around again and then walked away.

While the sound of footsteps slowly dissipated, two long breaths sounded from a black hole that appeared in the wall next to the armor. Kiku stepped out of the portal in fascination. "That was so cool!" she exclaimed. Reina stepped out after her, barely on solid ground before Kiku stuck her head back in.

"Unless you want your head stuck in the wall I suggest backing up."

Kiku glanced from the half-demon to the dark matter, which was rapidly shrinking. She backed away from the wall, watching the hole until it silently disappeared all together. When there was nothing more to look at, Kiku turned back to the half-demon who was leaning against the opposite wall. "What was that?" asked the water demon eagerly.

"That was the Shadow Realm." Reina replied while rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands.

"Wicked. Can we go in it again?"

"No," Kiku's reaction of pouting brought Reina to a frown. "I'm sorry, Kiku. I would love to take you to the Shadow Realm again, but I can't. It's one of the limitations I have for being a half-demon. Despite my increased power through magic I can barely take another person into the Shadow Realm."

"But you were able to just now."

"And it used up all of my energy."

"Oh," The water demon now felt guilty for knocking over the suit of armor. "Sorry."

Seeing the guilt in her friend's expression, Reina pushed off the wall smiling. "Don't worry about it. Classes are over except for Astronomy tonight. That gives me enough time to rest. Now, why were you hiding behind that damned thing in the first place?"

The question appeared to lighten Kiku's momentary guilty mood, but not by much. "I need to…" Kiku was cut off by the sound of voices echoing through the halls. "Damn," she muttered. "Okay, I can't tell you anything now. We'll talk during Astronomy." With that she took off down the hall, passing Harry on her way. She offered a quick greeting and kept walking.

"Where is she off to?" asked Harry when he reached the spot where his cousin stood.

Reina shook her head. "There's no telling."

- - -

After dinner in the Slytherin common room, Kiku slowly descended the stairs from the girls' dorms. Scanning the room with perceptive eyes, she found Crabbe and Goyle on the couch munching on food they stashed away during supper, but there was no Malfoy among them. The water demon looked around again when she reached the bottom. This time she caught sight of Pansy and a group of her friends sitting around one of the round tables. And yet still no sign of Malfoy.

_'Dammit, where is that boy?'_

Kiku didn't bother asking the two on the couch where their leader was. She had a feeling that they didn't know either. After leaving the common room she made her way upstairs to the third floor of the castle. As the demon came to a stop in front of the familiar tapestry the door behind it came into view. Without a second thought, Kiku opened the door and walked in.

The room she walked into wasn't at all what she was expecting. Differing greatly from the gymnasium-like atmosphere she usually encountered, Kiku now stood in a dimly lit room with all sorts of objects scattered around. _'What is this place?'_ She began to walk deeper into the crowded space, examining the many things she saw. Some objects were broken while others were intact, several contents were illegal by school rules, and a lot of stuff Kiku didn't even know what they were. The water demon picked up an old dust covered book and lifted the cover, but immediately let it close again when a disgruntled mumble floated to her ears.

Being extremely careful not to make any noise, Kiku inched her way closer to the source of the sound. From her place behind a column thick enough to conceal her body, the girl saw a dark figure standing in front of a large cabinet with his back to her. The person growled out a curse and kicked the unusual storage device, which didn't budge from the assault. "Damn portal! It's useless." scowled the man.

"Draco," Kiku breathed when she recognized the voice. Draco was too wrapped up in his anger to hear her.

"This is stupid. This whole fucking thing is stupid." The young man sat down in a chair nearby. He leaned forward on his knees with his head hung low, taking deep breathes in an attempt to calm down. "I can't fail." he whispered. "I can't afford to fail."

Kiku turned away from the scene before her. Draco was obviously up to something, and considering it was Draco there was a slim chance it was something good. The water demon knew she had to inform Snape about this. But then again Snape and Draco were acting suspicious before the holidays, so it might be safer to tell Dumbledore. Kiku peeked around the column again. On the other hand, there's no proof even with her eyes witness. What she has seen and heard it not conclusive.

_'I guess I should wait to see if he does anything.'_ With that decided Kiku retraced her steps back to the door, avoiding getting close to anything that could make a noise if hit. She reached the exit and silently slipped out unnoticed.

- - -

"Are you ready?"

"Harry, maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"You're a demon. What are you afraid of?"

"Being a demon doesn't make me fearless."

Harry sighed and looked over his shoulder at his cousin. "Okay, Reina. I understand." The half-demon was relieved to hear him say that. She opened her mouth to thank the boy, but in place of words came a startled yelp as they went from hovering two feet above ground to soaring a hundred feet in the air. Reina wrapped her arms around Harry's waist as tight as she could and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Dammit, Harry! You said you wouldn't do this." she exclaimed.

All Harry could do was laugh at his cousin's reaction to riding a broomstick. "I said I understood, not that I wouldn't bring you up here." He told her with a smirk Reina couldn't see. "If I slow down will you loosen your grip? I can barely breathe."

"You don't deserve air after what you pulled."

Keeping his word, Harry slowed their pace on the broom. For the next ten minutes the two teens flew around the Quidditch pitch a few times and once around the castle before coming to land near the stands where Kaze was waiting.

"Did you have fun?" asked Kaze smirking when her friend approached.

"Shut up."

"Why were you so afraid of flying? You've never been scared of heights before." Kaze pointed out.

Reina unbraided her hair, brushed it out, and let it remain down. "It's not heights that bother me, it's the broomstick. I don't trust it. I'd much rather use my own abilities to fly."

"I'm sure I can change your opinion about broomsticks in time." stated Harry confidently. The half-demon rolled her eyes at him.

"I wish you luck in doing that."

The three kids began walking back to the castle as it was close to dinnertime. Once inside they met up with Ron and Lavender, and then made their way to the Great Hall. As the group of Gryffindors came upon the double doors, a familiar voice from behind stopped them from going in. They turned to see Professor McGonagall walking over.

"Miss Krone," McGonagall said when she stopped in front of her students. "Professor Dumbledore has something that he thinks you'd like to see."

Reina stared at the witch who was giving her a small smile. "Do I have to come now?" she asked really wanting to just enjoy a meal with her friends.

"I'm certain that you will want to see it as soon as possible." McGonagall turned back in the direction she came from. She took a step forward, but then stopped and looked back to the children. "Mr. Potter, you should come, too." Leaving it at that she walked away. Harry and Reina looked at one another before following their head of house.

They were led through the halls at a quick pace, the whole time wondering what it was they were going to see. It didn't take long for them to reach the familiar statue and staircase. When the adult and her charges came to the top outside the door, McGonagall told her students to wait there while she went in.

"Do you have any idea why we're here?" Harry said after a few minutes of silent waiting.

"No clue." was the short answer.

"Can you hear through the door?"

Reina put her ear close to the wood blocking the entrance. "I can't hear a thing. The spell around the room is too strong." she stated a minute or two later. She leaned against the wall next to Harry. "Looks like we just have to wait."

As if on cue the door opened and McGonagall stood in the doorway. "Come on in." She stepped away from the door to allow the teenagers entrance. Harry and Reina said nothing as they walked into the office. Sitting behind his desk was Dumbledore with Fawkes beside him on the perch. McGonagall closed the door behind them before standing off to the side, her hands tucked inside her robe.

"Good evening." greeted Dumbledore standing.

"Good evening, Professor." Harry said politely. He waited to see if Reina would say anything. When she didn't, Harry glanced over at his cousin. The half-demon was looking around the room suspiciously. "What did you call us here for?" he asked still watching his cousin. Before anyone could answer him, a hand came out of the wall behind them and grabbed Reina. Immediately she spun around prepared to face her attacker. But when the rest of the stranger emerged, she relaxed with a big smile on her face.

"Father!"


	18. Chapter 18

Hello everyone! Sorry it took so long to update. I will try not to make you wait that long again. I'm also sorry that this chpt is a bit short, but it's an important one. So enjoy and review, and have a happy holiday!

Review Responses:

Kaname- Thanx and I will try to update faster now that I got more people yelling at me to update.

HellHathNoFuryLikeMine- Kuro really likes ur name.Hehehe. Yes, Kaze and I love tormenting Ron. And I'm sorry the last chpt scared you. Hopefully this one won't since it's now meant to.

Blackflame180- You never know what will slip out.

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 18

"Father!"

Reina jumped at the man she almost attacked just seconds before. She wrapped her arms around his neck and the man embraced her tightly. "Oh, Father, I missed you so much," the half-demon said refusing to relinquish her hold on the man.

"I missed you, too, Reina." Darikk loosened his grip and pulled back from his daughter. "It seems you've made some drastic changes since the last time I saw you," he stated moving a lock of brunette hair out of the girl's face.

"Oh," gasped Reina. She had forgotten about the concealing spell that was still in place. Quickly she took out her wand and stepped back. "_Absconditus fateor_," In the blink of an eye she was back to her natural appearance.

"Now there's the Reina I know."

While this little family reunion was happening, the other three people in the room watched on in interest. Harry especially was drawn to the scene. He recognized the man as a slightly older version of the one from Reina's photo album. This demon was his cousin's father. After another minute of joyous reuniting of father and daughter, the two demons focused their attention on the humans around them. Without warning, Reina scurried over to Harry, grabbed his arm, and pulled him over to Darikk.

"Dad, this is Harry," the half-demon said pushing the boy in front of her father.

Harry did nothing but stand there motionless, unsure of what to do. It wasn't like this was just another person he was being introduced to. The man standing before him was his uncle whom he didn't know existed until recently. Not knowing how else to go about it, Harry held out his right hand.

"Harry Potter," he stated.

Darikk looked at the extended hand and then took it in his own. "Darikk Krone. It's a pleasure to see you again after so many years." He paused as his eyes took in the young wizard's appearance. "You've grown into a fine young man, Harry, a spitting image of James."

"Thank you."

Darikk and Harry let their hands fall back to their sides. The half-demon stood beaming next to them. This was great; she had her family together and nothing could go wrong. Or so she thought.

"Reina," The half-demon looked up into her father's face. "I have someone that I'd like you to meet." Darikk looked over his shoulder and a black misty hole appeared in the back wall. A few seconds later, a woman emerged from the darkness. She paused long enough for the portal to close, and then she glided over with light footsteps.

"Hello, Reina," the woman said with a sweet smile.

The half-demon examined the woman with narrowed eyes in confusion. She was a few inches taller than Reina, and undoubtedly attractive, which suddenly scared the half-demon. Darikk's voice rang through her ears ripping Reina from her thoughts.

"Sweetheart, this is Aleera. She has been traveling with me for the past four months," Darikk explained smiling.

That smile expressed on the male demon's face was rather disturbing in Reina's perspective. What made it worse was Reina recognized the goofy smile her father wore, the one that love-struck teenage boys used. She glanced from Darikk to the woman and back, unsure how to react to this. Initially she was shocked, but it wasn't long before the anger settled in. Since last summer Darikk had been gone, refusing to tell his own daughter where he was going. And now he shows up with some woman he says has been traveling with him and never bothered to mention her in any of his letters.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Reina. Darikk has told me all about you," said Aleera sweetly. She tilted her head to the side and a wave of shimmering black hair fell around her face.

Reina remained silent while the other shadow demons waited for her to say something. It was during this awkward silence when the half-demon realized that Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Harry were no longer in the room. The only other creature left was Fawkes who continued to watch the demons closely. _'They must have snuck out while we were talking.'_ Reina thought before focusing back on her father.

"What are you doing here?" she said to Darikk, completely ignoring Aleera.

"Well, the Headmaster informed me of the problems you've been having. He suggested I come here and give my opinion on what it might be."

"So you're not back for good?" Seeing Darikk shake his head, Reina turned away from him. She wasn't going to let him leave again without knowing where he's going. "Does Dumbledore know where you've been?" There was no answer. She turned back around sharply causing her hair to fly out and fall over her shoulder. "Does he?"

This time Darikk couldn't ignore her, nor could he hide the truth from her. "Yes, he knows," he stated. Reina's eyes narrowed slightly and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Last year there were rumors going around in our clan that a few demons had deserted their kind and joined forces with Voldemort. With everything that has been happening it was doubtful that they were just rumors. Voldemort is not only a threat to wizards and muggles, but also a danger to all other creatures in the area. Upon learning this I was instantly concerned about your safety. I decided to find out what else was going on among other demon clans. It is a dangerous journey so I left you here at Hogwarts because I knew it was the safest place. I told Dumbledore so he could make some use of my findings."

Darikk's seemingly good explanation did nothing to calm the girl. "Why couldn't you have told me that to begin with? Maybe I wouldn't have been so worried about you had I known where you were." Reina said making no effort to hide her frustration. She was about to say what she was thinking, but bit her lip as she remembered the argument she and Darikk had before he left.

"Reina, your father was only trying to protect you," stated Aleera. Her expression was one of concern, but Reina swore that it was a cover-up for some smile of enjoyment from her pain. There was something strange about this woman. And the way she said the half-demon's name made her feel sick.

After throwing the woman a rather dirty look, Reina gazed at her father. "Why didn't you tell me?" she repeated.

"Because I didn't want you to worry." Darikk took a few steps toward his daughter. "I'm sorry for not telling you, Reina. That was poor judgment on my part. I now see that keeping it a secret only succeeded in worrying you even more. Now, do you forgive me?" He put his hands on the half-demon's shoulders. "Please."

Reina's anger backed off a bit at her father's gentle expression. Her heart was telling her to forgive him, but her brain began pointing out something else Darikk had kept from her. Unfortunately her heart was fighting a losing battle. "What about her?" She tilted her head towards Aleera, keeping her arms crossed so she could have something to grip or anger control.

"Her name is Aleera." Darikk corrected. "We met in one of the villages I visited in the fall. There was an attraction instantly, one that I couldn't refuse." To emphasize his point the shadow demon backed up to Aleera and took her hand in his, kissing the soft skin gently.

This show of affection brought forth a sick sensation in Reina's stomach, which only aided the oncoming headache in making the girl ill. But sick or not, she wasn't going to let Darikk off the hook so easily. "And it just happened to slip your mind every time you cared to write?"

Darikk let go of the woman's hand and once again stopped close to his daughter. "This was something I wanted to talk about in person. I couldn't explain it all in just a simple letter." Even though his words were truthful, Darikk still looked into the face of an angry half-demon. He could understand why she was upset, but he thought Reina would be easier to speak to and convince that everything would turn out okay. And yet it was obvious his assumptions were off. Not only was Reina taking it harder than he originally thought, but Darikk sensed something wrong with the girl's aura.

"Reina, are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay." Reina hissed through clenched teeth. "How can I be okay after knowing my father has been lying to me? How can I be fine when he brings back some woman to replace my mother? Tell me how anyone can be okay with that!"

After the raise in Reina's voice, Fawkes cooed to draw attention away form the argument. The half-demon swiftly turned to the phoenix. Its eyes caught hers in an intense stare, calming rays being exchanged. Reina relaxed her muscles momentarily and walked over to the perch. "I'm sorry, Fawkes," she whispered as she stroked the beautiful creature, being reminded of Mayoke as she did so. From behind she could hear the footsteps of her father.

"Aleera is not trying to replace your mother." Darikk's tone had grown heavy with guilt and anger. "I would appreciate it if you would show her the respect she deserves. Once you get to know her I'm sure you will enjoy Aleera's presence." When Reina still refused to look at him, the shadow demon grabbed her shoulder. "Let's discuss this over dinner."

Reina spun and smacked his hand away. "No, I am going to share a meal with my friends, people I can trust." With one last glare at Darikk, she pushed past him and walked out of the room. By now her head was throbbing allowing only the thought of escaping to come through clearly. That single thought powered her actions as she descended the stairs two at a time, passed her teachers and cousin, and continued without stopping.

Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Harry watched as Reina stormed by paying no attention to them. Instantly worried about his cousin, Harry called out her name, but got no reply. Seconds later Darikk emerged from behind the statue, stopping when he reached the Headmaster and teacher.

"This is going to be harder than I originally thought," he stated to no one in particular. Once his daughter was out of sight, the shadow demon turned to the people next to him. "I apologize for causing such trouble, Headmaster Dumbledore."

"Oh, it's no trouble. Reina's reaction is expected with everything she's been through. Just give her some time to sort this all out." The Headmaster smiled gently before quietly walking back to his office, passing Aleera on his way.

"Where did Reina go?" asked Aleera as she came over to stand next to Darikk. When he told her the girl had run off she wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. "She'll come around. Maybe I should talk to her," she said with a smile that seemed out of place.

Returning the comforting hug, Darikk relinquished a sigh. "No, that would be the worst thing to do." The smile on Aleera's face suddenly disappeared as if she was disappointed that she couldn't talk to the half-demon.

Harry noticed this and thought it odd. He felt a bit uncomfortable standing there with the two demons. McGonagall had left with Dumbledore, so he was now in the presence of strangers. Averting his eyes from the couple, Harry looked off down the long corridor in which his cousin had vanished.

"Uh, Mr.Krone,"

The male shadow demon pushed the woman away and looked at the young man. "Please, Harry, call me Darikk."

"Yes, Darikk. Do you mind if I talk to Reina? I'm not sure how exactly, but I think I can help." Harry said.

"Of course. If the two of you have indeed become as close as Dumbledore said them you might be the only person who could make an impact on her." With the desired permission granted, Harry took off in search of Reina.

* * *

An hour of searching through the castle had worn Harry out. He'd checked every place imaginable inside Hogwarts. Kaze and Kiku told him everything they knew about the half-demon's hiding places, but the search still turned up empty. After another half hour of wandering outside around the grounds, Harry resorted to visiting Hagrid.

"Sorry, but I haven' seen 'er. Have ya tried the pitch?" said the half-giant.

"The Quidditch pitch?"

"Yeah, Reina told me tha' she sometimes goes there to wander abou' the stands."

Having this new piece of information, Harry left the small cottage and walked to the Quidditch pitch. A quick scan of the field turned up nothing. The wizard then searched the stands, but was still unable to spot anything in the moonlight.

"Where could she be?"

It was then that an idea popped into Harry's head. Reina was a shadow demon meaning she was attracted to the dark. Where at the pitch could the moonlight have difficulty reaching? Anxious to find the girl, he ran down the stairs to the ground, lifted up the clothe over the sides, and ducked behind it. He carefully climbed over and under the many wooden beams, continuing the action until he saw the form of a girl sitting on one of the low beams. As he approached, Harry distinctly heard sniffling.

"What are you doing out here this late, Harry?" came Reina's choked voice.

The Boy-Who-Lived swung his right leg over the beam, followed by his left, and sat down next to half-demon.

"Checking up on you." Harry replied calmly. Reina refused to look at him, even after she wiped her face off with her sleeve. This was the first time Harry had seen his cousin cry, and it pained him as she did.

In reality it had only been two months since Harry first found out who Reina was. But in that short time they had learned so much about each other and become so close. His heart wouldn't let him betray her now when she truly needed him.

"Reina, I'm sure your father didn't mean to hurt you. He loves you."

"He sure as hell isn't acting like it," the half-demon snapped. "All my life I've had no reason to doubt him. He's always been there protecting me as much as he can from the hard life I was subjected to. He is the one person that has never treated me differently for what I am. And now look at what's happened. He's lying to his daughter, bringing back some strange woman, and acting like nothing's wrong!"

Harry went quiet after his cousin's expression. He watched as Reina sighed and hid her face in her hands. When she lifted her head again, she turned to Harry. "I'm sorry, Harry. I shouldn't have yelled. It's just…it's…" Reina covered her mouth, muffling the sob that followed. The tears were falling freely and she hid her face again.

"Reina," Harry moved closer to the half-demon and held her in a comforting embrace. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Reina's sobs came to a slow stop. "Everything is going to turn out fine," said the wizard as his cousin pulled away.

Wiping away the tear trails, Reina nodded to him. "Thank you. Again I'm sorry for bringing you into this, Harry." She used her sleeve to dry her eyes, laughing as she did so. "Oh, I'm pathetic. You'd think I would have learned to control my emotions better than this."

"You have every right to be upset. But look at it this way. At least you know your father is happy and being taken care of. Aleera seems really nice." Harry said with a smile.

"Yeah," The half-demon paused. "I guess I was just thinking of my mother. If she were alive none of this would be happening. I'm not trying to keep Dad from finding love again, but I was sort of hoping that I knew the person in advance. Is it really wrong of me not to want to keep my father away from that pain again?"

The young wizard returned his arm to his side. "I understand, but these things happen. It's not your fault Marina died."

"Maybe not but the ones responsible might still come back to punish my father once more."

"What?"

Reina looked up into the boy's confused face. She then remembered that he didn't know, almost no one did. "Harry," she said. "There's something else I haven't told you yet. My mother didn't die during childbirth. She…she was killed." Her lavender eyes strayed away from their emerald cousins. "Almost everyone in our village hated my parents, mainly my mother. A few demons were so full of hatred that they killed my mother. They tried to kill me also, but Mom was able to place a protection spell around me before she died."

As Harry listened to these words he was reminded of his own mother. She had sacrificed herself for him, protected him from harm. Marina had done the same for Reina. The two of them had even more in common now.

"Come on, let's go. I don't know about you, but I'm hungry." Harry offered, not wishing top dwell on such a painful subject. His cousin happily agreed and they stood to leave. But as Harry turned to leave, he was called back by a painstaking scream. "Reina!"

The half-demon was doubled over clutching her side. Another scream forced its way pass her lips. "Reina! Hang in there!" Harry's words never reached her ears as the pain proved too much and Reina slipped into unconsciousness.


	19. Chapter 19

Once again I'm sorry for the long update. Hate me if you must but please review.

Kaze: Yes, that'll be nice.But our dear readers we have good news.

Kuro: Very good news. We have a proposition for you, a contest of some sorts.

Kaze: Yes, a fanart contest to be exact.

Kuro: We want you, the readers, to draw fanart of the three OCs: Reina, Kaze, and Kiku.

Kaze: Yeah, you can other characters if you want, but the girls must be present. The person who can draw the girls as close to how we see them will win.

Kuro: Just send an e-mail to me (find my e-mail address on my profile page) with either the fanart or a link to it.

Kaze: And we'll all look at them, and decide who the winner is. Kuro tell them what they'll win.

Kuro: A brand new car! Lol, just kidding. Actually, the winner gets a chapter dedicated to them and gets to come up with something for the girls to do. However, what you choose can't affect the main plot or be too outrageous.

Kaze: That's right. We hope you all enjoy the contest and this chapter. Please R&R.

Kuro: I will post these guidelines for the contest on my profile page if you want to read them there, too. Also check my profile page to see the progress of upcoming chapters. Thank you and enjoy.

Review Responses:

C K Brook- I'm sorry that I haven't been updating very quickly. I'll try to improve on that. And thanks for reviewing.

Nobunaga- Thank you for reviewing. Ah, yes. Sudden. Sorry. Maybe this one will be better.

Truth Lies in the Shadows

Chapter 19

"Oh, Harry! How can we ever repay you for saving Ron's life?"

Mrs.Weasley embraced Harry tightly around the neck. Her and the rest of the Weasley family were gathered around Ron's bed in the Hospital Wing. They had arrived at Hogwarts about half an hour prior, not long after they received the news that Ron had been poisoned.

"It's nothing, Mrs. Weasley," Harry managed to get out with the limited amount of oxygen the woman's hug allowed him. Luckily he was granted relief when Hagrid came barging into the room drawing everyone's attention to him.

"I jus' got the news. Is he gonna be alrigh'?" the half-giant asked as he approached the group of people.

"Yes, he'll recover," said Madam Pomfrey, slight irritation in her voice resulting from Hagrid's boisterous entrance. "Now there are too many visitors around one bed." Harry took this as a hint to leave. He and Hermione, who had been very quiet until then, said goodbye to the Weasleys and walked towards the door. 'Before you go," the nurse called to them. "I need your assistance over here."

Harry and Hermione glanced to each other and then to Madam Pomfrey. With Hagrid behind them they followed the nurse to a bed four down from Ron's and blocked off by a light blue curtain. When Madam Pomfrey went around and pulled back the curtain on the side opposite the other visitors, Harry had a feeling he knew why they were staying.

"So Ron's going to be okay?" said the blue-haired girl sitting in the hospital bed.

"Yes, Miss Krone. But it looks like you'll be having a recovery buddy for a while," Madam Pomfrey told her.

"What exactly does that mean? How long am I going to be stuck here?" Reina asked weakly. She had only been there for one night and already she was itching to get away.

The witch sighed as she addressed the contents on a nearby cart. "Until Professor Dumbledore says you can be released. As of now I am under strict orders to keep you here." With that said she fully concentrated on the potion brewing in front of her.

"How are ya feelin', Reina?"

Despite being irritated about her confinement, the half-demon put on a smile for her friends. "Not bad," she said. When Madam Pomfrey turned back to her, Reina whimpered helplessly. She recognized the smell that stained the air as it flowed out of the cup in the woman's hand. "Please tell me that's not what I think it is," she asked even though she already knew the answer. The witch said nothing when she thrust the cup into the half-demon's hand.

"Stand back," Madam Pomfrey instructed.

The warning confused Hermione and Hagrid. They stepped back anyway and watched quietly. Harry did the same, but he knew why they were doing so. This same thing happened the previous night when Reina was first brought to the hospital. When the half-demon drank the potion that first time, her demonic powers reacted rather fiercely. This time was no different. After Reina downed the cup's contents, there was a short pause before she grimaced. The tips of her fingers glowed black and a dark mist began emanating from them. A symbol appeared on her forehead just as her whole body was outlined in black. Her aura continued to grow until it eventually calmed down.

Once all signs of danger disappeared, Madam Pomfrey took the cup from Reina. "Now get some rest," she said. After her powers had subsided, the half-demon took on a look of fatigue. She put up no argument as she sank deeper under the covers. She mumbled goodbyes to her friends before drifting off to sleep.

Harry's eyes lingered on his cousin's sleeping figure for a moment until Madam Pomfrey addressed him. "I need you to take something to Professor Dumbledore." The witch walked to her office and came back with a collection of papers. She handed them over to Harry.

"What is it?" the boy asked as he adjusted his grip to accommodate the thick stack.

"Those are my reports on Miss Krone's condition."

"Wha' do ye reckon is wrong with 'er?" Hagrid shifted anxiously where he stood.

Madam Pomfrey crossed her arms over her chest, and spared the half-giant a glance. "It's obvious that it has something to do with the mix of demonic energy and magic in her body. Due to the nature of the attacks she's been having, I would say that she is suffering from an inner battle. The demon half and magical half are fighting against one another."

"Fighting?" Hermione's brow furrowed as she thought this over. "But why is that only happening to Reina? Kaze and Kiku are demons and they're fine."

"It's the curse of being a half-blood." Madam Pomfrey looked upon the sleeping girl with sympathy. "Those girls are pure blooded demons, creatures that naturally possess a tolerance for magic. Unlike her friends, Reina is a half-demon. Had her mother been a muggle she would have had very little capabilities with magic, possibly none at all. But that is not the case. Marina Potter was a witch meaning her child inherited that power."

"I don't understand," Harry said firmly. "If demons harbor magical abilities then can't the blood of a witch mix well with the blood of a demon without consequence?"

"One would think so. The only explanation I can come up with is that she wasn't exposed to using magic early in her life. Since she just began using it less than a year ago, her powers reject it."

The four people around the curtained bed heard a moan coming from a few beds down. "It seems I'm needed. Take that directly to Professor Dumbledore," Madam Pomfrey said, pointing her index finger at Harry. She pulled the curtain back around the bed and then walked over to the Weasleys. Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid decided to leave since they all had work to do.

* * *

"Have you been up to visit Reina today?" Kiku asked from the bank of the lake. She and Kaze had been lounging around the lake for the past hour. They had about twenty minutes left of their free period until Transfiguration began.

"Not yet. I will before dinner though because I have to drop off her work," Kaze replied as she played with the mini tornado on the ground in front of her. "Are you?"

Kiku stopped splashing her bare feet in the water. "Maybe. I plan on doing a little sneaking in Draco's room later. It depends on when he's gone." This earned her a questioning stare. "Look, I know he's up to something, and I'm going to find out what it is."

"You sound like Harry," Kaze muttered. The water demon frowned. "Just be careful not to get caught." She glanced at her watch. "Let's go."

Two hours later the two demons split, Kaze going to the infirmary and Kiku headed back to Slytherin common room. When she got there, the water demon was grateful to see only a few people in the common room. She greeted them as she passed by and started up the stairs. At the area of division, making sure no one was watching, Kiku sprinted up the steps leading to the boys' dormitory. Luckily the hall was empty so she had no problem sneaking into Draco's room.

"Hm, pretty neat for a boy's room," she said to herself looking around.

The left side of the room was very clean and organized. The bed was neatly made with the curtains drawn around it. Everything seemed to be put away in its rightful spot; the complete opposite of the right side where Crabbe and Goyle slept. Their beds were left the way they had slept in them the night before. All of their belongings were strung about the floor; barely any of it resided in their trunks. Plus there was this awful stench coming from that side.

_'Thank you, Draco, for being so clean,'_ Kiku thought to herself. She wasted no time as she immediately began rummaging through the boy's stuff.

After a half hour of searching, Kiku was quite angry. She hadn't found anything of interest, although there were a few things that disgusted her. How was she supposed to learn of his plan of she couldn't find anything to do so? Just as she was about to look through drawers again, Kiku could hear movement outside in the hallway. She quickly moved to the door and listened for any indication of who it was. Unfortunately it was as she feared. Draco's voice reached her sensitive ears along with Crabbe and Goyle's.

_'Shit!'_ the water demon mentally cursed. After quickly putting everything back where she found it, Kiku removed her wand and conjured a stick of dynamite. She had always been amazed at the destructive power of muggle science. Sparing just enough time to give an evil laugh, she placed the dynamite in the middle of the floor. She cracked the door open to peer out, happy to see that Pansy had captured the boys' attention. However, just because she could make it out without being caught, there was no harm in making sure. She unscrewed the cap to the water bottle she brought and used her powers to guide the liquid down the hall to puddle around Pansy's feet. The next step the girl took resulted in her downfall, literally.

While the three boys were concerned with Pansy, Kiku managed to slip away unnoticed after lighting the wick. Instead of sneaking around to the other staircase, she waited patiently for Draco to enter his room. The timing was perfect! Just as Draco pulled open the door, the loud sound of the dynamite going off reached Kiku's ears despite her hands being pressed hard against them. Along with the bomb's noise was Draco's infuriated scream. Her head may have been throbbing now, but the water demon left completely satisfied.

* * *

"Oh, Ron! Please wake up!"

Reina had been subjected to Lavender's cries on her frequent visits over the past three days. Every time she came Ron would fake sleep to avoid her, but that didn't stop the girl from talking to him. Luckily Lavender's visits were short when Ron was 'sleeping'.

"I know you are worried about him, Lavender, but he really needs his rest," Reina said from her bed. She hoped it would convince her to leave, for Ron's sake and her own. Madam Pomfrey had removed the curtain from around her bed for better observations, but it meant Reina had to disguise her appearance every time someone came in to the Hospital Wing. Despite getting stronger everyday, the half-demon still didn't like using the spell.

Lavender spared the other girl a glance before standing. Saying nothing more she walked out of the wing, giving Reina the peace she wanted. The half-demon leaned over to peer outside.

"Ron, she's gone."

Shifting underneath the covers, one of Ron's eyes popped open. When he saw no sign of the persistent Lavender Brown, he opened both of his blue eyes and sat up in bed.

"Thanks."

"No problem," Reina replied. She leaned back against the multiple pillows propped behind her back. Catching sight of the Quidditch pitch way below, she shifted around so that she could see outside the window comfortably. After being informed of what she was looking at, Ron got out of his own bed and jumped onto the one next to Reina's.

"I wish we were down there watching the match instead of being stuck in this bloody place," the redhead grumbled. From across the bed Reina nodded her silent agreement.

They sat watching what they could see of the game for a while until Madam Pomfrey came out of her office to check on them. Both teens were forced to swallow a dose of medicine before the woman retreated back to her office. Just as they became comfortable again, the huge wooden door of the entrance opened slowly. Ron looked over his shoulder to see the visitor and then back at Reina.

"Do you know who that is?" he asked, pointing his thumb at the cloaked man.

The half-demon spared the visitor a glance though she already knew his identity. With a disgruntled sigh, she unfolded her legs and stood up. "It's my father," she said walking to the opposite side of the room. The man also strolled over to the empty row of beds, taking a seat on a bed across from his daughter.

The air between them was quiet and strained, making both demons uncomfortable, but neither showed it. Darikk removed his cloak and placed it next to him on the bed. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better," Reina answered simply. She wrung her hands nervously as she stared at the floor. This was the first time she'd spoken to her father since the night she blew up at him. Harry had told her that Darikk came to see her several times right after the incident, but she was always asleep. Now that she could talk, what was she suppose to say? In her mind Darikk should be mad at her, and yet somehow she knew he wasn't.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted like I did. Me and my anger caused all of this."

Darikk held up his hand to stop the half-demon from saying anything more. "We are both to blame. But let's put that incident far behind us. You can't afford to be burdened with that kind of emotional stress. Otherwise you'll have another episode." The shadow demon smiled at his daughter. "All I want you to do is focus on getting better, understand?"

The half-demon smiled and nodded. "Yes." It grew quiet once again. Reina glanced over to Ron who had been watching them on and off between dull moments in the Quidditch game. "Are you leaving?" she asked turning back to her father.

His expression lost some of its cheerfulness as Darikk's eyes softened. "Yes, I'm afraid so. Aleera and I will be leaving after I speak to Dumbledore," he answered. "I wasn't going to leave without saying goodbye."

"So, where are you going to this time?"

"To revisit some of the demon clans. There were some things that didn't add up the first time."

"Oh." Reina looked back down at her hands, her thumbnails outlining the raven tattoos around her wrists. "I guess I can let you go if you promise to write every chance you get and to be extremely careful." She heard Darikk chuckle and her lavender eyes rose to meet her father's. "Do you promise?"

Without warning Darikk pulled his daughter over to him, holding her in a tight embrace. Reina wrapped her arms around his neck. The male shadow demon tightened his grasp in response to the moist tears that flowed from the girl's eyes into his shirt. "Yes, I promise, Reina," he said softly. They remained that way for a few moments longer until Darikk pulled away and held his daughter at arms length. "And you must promise to continue working hard in your schoolwork," he said as he wiped the tears from her face. Reina nodded, her hair falling over her shoulders. Darikk hugged her again before letting go.

"Dad,"

The man stopped at the door and looked back at the half-demon.

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Reina." Leaving her with a smile, Darikk disappeared behind the doors.

Reina stood looking after her father for a minute and then walked back over to Ron. She sat down on the bed to continue watching the game. Ron watched her closely, thinking of something to say.

"Are you okay?" he asked when the half-demon rubbed her eyes.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Reina said with a small smile. "So, who's winning?"

A few seconds after the words left her mouth, a roaring from the crowd silenced them both. Luna Lovegood's voice rang through the air, reaching even the Hospital Wing. "He's been hit! That's foul play! What a crumby teammate!" Ron and Reina practically jumped up at the announcement. "And now Potter is being taken off the field. I do believe that McLaggen should be-Oh hello, Professor McGonagall."

"Oh god. Please be okay," gasped the half-demon. "Madam Pomfrey! I think you have another patient on the way." She quickly used the concealment spell in case someone other than Dumbledore or McGonagall walked in.

* * *

Harry began to stir and suddenly became regretfully aware of the pain in his head. The pain mixed with the all-too-familiar smell of cleanliness informed him of where he was. He rolled over onto his side in the bed and, as much as he didn't want to, he opened his eyes. He let out a startled gasp when he was met with a pair of lavender orbs two inches from his face.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Harry."

His cousin's soft voice reached his ears, and he became quite thankful she hadn't spoken any louder. He pushed himself up with help from the half-demon who positioned the pillows behind his back so that he could sit up. "Thanks," he said ending with a groan from the pain. When he opened his eyes again, Reina had disappeared.

"She went to get Madam Pomfrey," Ron said from Harry's left. He was sitting in a chair he pulled over from another bed. "You gave us a scare, mate."

"Who won?"

"Not us. But from what I heard McLaggen received a severe talking from McGonagall. Oh, how I wish I could have been there." The redhead went quiet when Madam Pomfrey approached with Reina behind her.

"In here again, Mr. Potter, for yet another Quidditch injury," said the magical nurse. She examined Harry's head after removing the bandage and then wrapped him back up. "Drink this and then rest. A good night's sleep will do you good. That goes for all of you," she added with a scrutinizing stare at each teenager. With that she walked away to her office, shutting the door behind her. A minute later the lights went off, leaving the moonlight seeping in the windows as the only source of light.

Harry continued to watch the office door even after the lights had gone out. When he was certain that Madam Pomfrey wasn't coming back out, he reached over to the bedside table. He found his glasses and put them on, but he couldn't locate the other thing he wanted.

"Looking for this?"

Both boys looked to Reina who was standing to Harry's right, one hand on her hip and the other was occupied with passing Harry's wand through her fingers. Harry reached out to grab it, but his cousin held it up higher. "Come on, Reina," Harry said tugging on her pajama top.

Ignoring his pleas, the half-demon picked up the cup on the table and shoved it under his nose. "Drink. You'll feel better." Her cousin gave both her and the toxic a look of disgust. With a sigh, Reina said, "Drink it and you'll get your wand." This worked for Harry took the cup grudgingly and downed the contents. He gave the now empty cup back to the half-demon. Reina smiled and handed over his wand. "You're welcome."

Harry stuck his tongue out at her and vice versa. Seeing this exchange of childish antics, Ron laughed. "You two act more like brother and sister than cousins," he commented. Harry and Reina looked at Ron and then at each other. They said nothing. Instead, Harry pointed his wand in the direction of Madam Pomfrey's office. He muttered an imperturbable charm before replacing his wand back on the table.

"Kreacher!" Harry called out. He waited a few seconds before calling the name again.

As he did this, Reina looked over to Ron with an expression of confusion. "It's a house elf," explained the redhead. "When Sirius left Harry Grimmauld Place he also left him the house elf that went with it." The half-demon nodded in understanding.

"Kreacher!"

There was a popping sound followed by the appearance of a short elf-like creature at the foot of the bed. Another pop rang out and a second house elf appeared next to the first one.

"Greetings! How is Harry Potter feeling?" the second elf asked happily. His eyes shot around with excitement, smiling at Ron when he saw him. Turning about he caught sight of the half-demon. "Reina Krone! What are you doing in the hospital? And how do you know Harry Potter?"

"Dobby, calm down," Reina instructed, holding up a hand for emphasis. "I just over worked myself. And who doesn't know Harry Potter?"

"Potter doesn't deserve the fame," grunted the other house elf.

"Kreacher, I have a job for you." Harry stared hard at the elf that glared back.

"Kreacher only serves the Malfoys," he growled out.

In response Harry pointed his wand at Kreacher. "You serve me. Now, I want you to spy on Draco Malfoy. And then you report everything back to me, but be sure I'm alone when you do. Understand?"

The elf scoffed and acted like he was ignoring him. His fellow elf chimed in with excitement. "Don't worry, Harry Potty. Dobby will help Kreacher. Dobby will help spy on Draco Malfoy." With that he disappeared along with Kreacher. But it didn't remain quiet for long.

"Potty and Weasel are little pansies if they're complaining over a little head and tummy ache," came a taunting voice from above. The three looked up to see Peeves flying around the air. "Oooooo, look! Potty's got a girlfriend!"

By this point Reina had grabbed a blanket from the next bed and tossed it over her head, hiding any visible demonic trait. "Peeves! Get out of here!" Harry yelled at him. But the prankster ghost kept on chanting. The boy turned his wand on Peeves. "Langlock!"

Peeves clutched his throat when he realized his voice was gone. After making some rude gestures at the kids he flew through the nearest wall. Harry waited to see if he was coming back before telling Reina it was safe. He heard her sigh from under the sheet. "Let's get to bed." Each one crawled into their own bed and went to sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

Hello, everyone. I'm sorry about such a long wait for this chapter. I've been rather busy, but I'm back into the habit of writing. Hope you enjoy and please review or I will sick my flying monkeys and killer bunnies after you.

Chapter 20

"You better take that potion everyday, Miss Krone!"

"I will!" Reina called back to Madam Pomfrey as she ran down the hall to catch up with Harry and Ron. "Come on, guys! Wait up!"

Being in a good mood since they were released from the hospital, both boys stopped halfway down the hall and waited patiently. It was then that they spotted Hermione coming towards them from the other end. Both girls reached the boys at the same time.

"Good morning, Hermione," Reina greeted the other girl. "How are you today?"

Hermione smiled, happy to see all three of her friends out of the Hospital Wing. "I'm doing fine. How about you? What did Madam Pomfrey say?"

Of the three Gryffindors who were in the infirmary, Reina was the only one to leave with long-term effects.

"I'm doing quite well actually. However," She held up a small bottle of a light red, almost pink, colored potion. "I have to take this stuff daily. Why is it that all medication tastes horrible?"

Hermione shook her head laughing. "That's why it's called medicine."

"True," Reina put the vial into her bag. "I've also got a note excusing me from using magic in class if I ever begin feeling bad."

'That's good. You need a break once in a while. Anyways, we better get going. Kaze and Kiku said they would meet us outside of the Great Hall."

Together the four Gryffindors walked through the halls towards the marble staircase that led to the Entrance Hall. On their way, the group was stopped by Luna Lovegood. After expressing her happiness at the boys' release, Luna handed Harry a note and then took off again.

"Is it from Dumbledore?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded. "He's set up another meeting for tonight." After reading the rest of the note, Harry folded the paper again and stuffed it in his pocket. "He also says to tell Reina to check on Mayoke soon."

"Mayoke?" Reina wasn't sure what that meant. She assumed the suggestion pointed to a letter Mayoke had for her. God forbid it meant the raven was hurt. "Um, guys, I'm going to go find Mayoke." Hermione offered to go with her, but the half-demon assured her friend she could do it alone. With Reina gone, the golden trio continued through the castle to the Great Hall.

As the group was coming down the last flight of stairs, they saw Kaze and Kiku standing outside of the Great Hall. They sped up their pace in stair hopping, but the presence of another student at the base slowed them again. Ron swallowed hard at the look Lavender Brown was giving him. Once at the bottom, Harry and Hermione rushed into the Great Hall with Kaze and Kiku. Ron was left alone to deal with Lavender and her ranting, which had already started even before the trio stepped off the stairs.

"Where's Reina?" Kiku asked, taking a seat beside Kaze at the Gryffindor table. Most of the Gryffindors and Slytherins were used to this by now, but that didn't diminish the dirty looks by much. It was obvious that it would take more than a few students to mend the differences between the two houses.

"She went to check on Mayoke," said Harry. He looked around the room for a minute, zoning out of the conversations going on. Intentionally or not, his eyes fell on the Slytherin table. He looked up and down the table for a certain student who wasn't there. Draco wasn't with his housemates nor was he anywhere else in the room. Where could he be?

Harry was forced out of his silent search when Ron sat down next to him on the bench with a heavy sigh. "I need food," he groaned. Both of his hands reached for food on the plates across the tabletop. Harry began to say something, but his words came out in a voice that wasn't his.

"Girl troubles, Ron?"

The boys and girls looked around to see Reina standing by the table. She sat down in the empty space next to Harry. "Sorry I'm late."

"Is Mayoke okay?" Kaze asked after sipping from her glass.

"Yeah, he's just got a full belly," said Reina smiling. "But he did have a letter for me." She pulled a folded sheet of parchment out of her pocket. "It's from my dad. He says he's coming back to visit next month." From the tone of her voice and the smile on her face, it was easy to tell that Reina was excited. All of her friends were relieved to see the half-demon happy again, especially with everything that's happened lately.

"That's great," said Kaze after taking another swig of her pumpkin juice. "Does that mean his girlfriend will be coming along?"

Reina shrugged before piling food on her plate. "I don't know," she said. "I don't really care either as long as I don't end up with a baby sibling anytime soon."

As innocent as that statement sounded it had a bad effect on the wind demon. Kaze had lowered her fork and stared blankly at Reina for a long moment. She suddenly shuddered while shaking her head violently. "That was wrong, Rei. Very wrong." Darikk was like a father figure to Kaze, which meant she didn't want certain images forming in her head.

The half-demon laughed. "I know. I've already been through the series of dirty images and thoughts."

The rest of the day went by smooth enough. Harry was a bit uneasy when he returned to the common room after his visit with Dumbledore. He told the others about it, including Dumbledore's urgency to get the memory of Tom Riddle from Professor Slughorn. Later that night when the Gryffindor common room was empty except for the golden trio and their demon friends, two house elves appeared to report to Harry. During the encounter, Harry and Ron drained the elves of information while Hermione protested the entire scheme. Reina and Kaze listened to the conversation, but said nothing themselves. Not long after Dobby and Kreacher disappeared, the teenagers dispersed and went to bed.

The next few days were normal enough, if normal was even the vocabulary used to describe the odd group's experiences. Harry had tried a couple of times to retrieve the memory from Slughorn, but failed miserably. The old man was just not going to give it up. Ron was still having trouble Apparating and the test that was to take place on April 21 was approaching fast. Besides these minor mishaps everything was going well. That is until the next trip to Hogsmeade came around.

"Are you sure, Harry?" Reina pressed. She had been trying to persuade her cousin to come to Hogsmeade, but he continued to refuse.

"I'm sorry, but I need to find out what Draco is up to in the Room of Requirement," explained Harry wearing an apologetic smile.

Reina sighed and pretended to pout. She knew that nothing could change Harry's mind now. "You're no fun," she said. "First Kiku isn't going and now you. Well, all I have to say is that you better feel sorry for Hermione, Kaze, and me. We're forced to put up with Ron."

"Wait, Kiku isn't…" Harry paused when he saw Ginny wave to them as she passed by with a group of friends. The wizard waved back with a smile. Reina watched the scene and beat her cousin to the punch.

"What's going on between you and Ginny?" the half-demon asked bluntly.

Harry looked back to Reina nervously. "W-What do you mean?"

"You know damn well what I mean. You like her, don't you?"

Now, Harry and Reina had become close over the school year, but not this close. Harry wasn't about to answer Reina's question whose answer both of them knew. "That's none of your business," stated Harry. "How would you like it if I asked you who you fancied?"

Leaning against the wall next to the stairs, Reina crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. "It would matter not because I can honestly say I fancy no one."

"And why should I believe that?"

"Because you should know by now how cautious I am about my relationships due to my condition. As much as I hate to admit it, no one would want to court a half-demon who can't control her powers."

Reina's last reply halted Harry's tongue. He always hated it when the girl used tough truths, most of which concerned her mixed blood, against him. This usually meant Harry had no comeback.

"Now, do you like her?" Reina asked smiling, acting as if what she just said wasn't a big deal.

Harry sighed in defeat. "You already know the answer, so why bother asking?"

"I enjoy tormenting you."

"You are cruel," muttered Harry. His cousin's cheerful expression was expected. "What were you assaying about Kiku not going to Hogsmeade?"

"Oh," Reina uncrossed her arms and pushed off the wall. "She said she had to finish a project for Divination, and then she is going to swim in the lake." A horde of students came rushing downstairs and into the Entrance Hall. All were dressed in street clothes, ready for the day in Hogsmeade. "I've got to go now, Harry. Bye." The half-demon clapped Harry on the back as she walked past him to join Kaze, Ron, and Hermione.

* * *

"Ow!"

Kiku quickly put a hand over her mouth to stop anymore groans of pain. Her shin was now throbbing after having run into the wall while trying to dodge Mrs. Norris. Hashi moved closer to the feline and growled as menacingly as possible for the fox cub. Over the school year Hashi had grown quite a bit, but he was still a pup. However, his stance worked to scare the cat away.

"Thanks, Hashi," whispered Kiku. She scratched the fox's ears before directing her attention back to her current activity of following Draco Malfoy.

From the time Draco left the Slytherin common room over an hour ago until now Kiku had been following him. It was getting rather tedious thought. Draco had gone to the library and checked out a couple of books, and then he stopped by the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. While Draco was inside the classroom, Kiku waited outside with her ear pressed against the door. Unfortunately, she couldn't hear any voices, which probably meant Snape and Draco were in Snape's office in the back. Once Draco came out of the classroom, he went back upstairs. That was the last stop Draco made before returning to the Slytherin common room. It didn't take long for Kiku to grow bored of watching Draco do homework. She eventually gave up and went to the lake to train.

"How was that, Hashi?" asked Kiku, sticking her head out of the water.

Hashi nodded his head happily in response. He bent down and picked up the stop watch in his mouth. Trotting over to the edge of the lake, the fox dropped the watch into Kiku's hand. Strangely enough, Kiku has taught the fox which button to push to start and stop the timer. Kiku looked down at the time and grinned broadly.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "Two minutes and twelve seconds. That's a whole twenty seconds faster than last month. Just imagine how fast I'll be when I can breath under water."

Indeed, Kiku was becoming faster in her swimming every day. Her powers were steadily growing like every other young demon's should. Two great abilities of a water demon are being capable of breathing under water and conjuring water from thin air. In truth, water demons can't create water. Instead they are able to pull the moisture from the air or objects around them. Kiku was certainly coming close to acquiring these skills. She had already mastered the art of illusions, which could be viewed by the two tattoos across her body that always remained, and her illusion used to look like a human.

"Okay, now I'm bored," she muttered as she sat on the bank. Her light purple hair stuck to the skin of her shoulders and back, water droplets cascading down her torso. Kiku squeezed the excess water from her hair and then placed the strands behind pointed ears. "Maybe I should have gone to Hogsmeade with the others."

Before Kiku could think anymore on the subject, her sensitive ears picked up on the sound of someone approaching. Hashi, too, heard feet shuffling on grass. Kiku didn't even look to see who was coming before she dove back into the water. The white fox also went into hiding by circling a nearby tree until he was out of sight. Hiding amongst a plenty of Lilly pads, Kiku rose up out of the water just enough for her purple swirled eyes to peek over the surface.

_Draco!_

The Slytherin prefect walked across the grounds to the edge of the lake where Kiku had been a minute before. He looked around the area and the surrounding space. His gray eyes traveled over Kiku, who ducked back under the water. Through the rippling water, Kiku could see Draco mutter to himself and then turn to walk away. Once the water demon was sure that Draco was gone, she swam back over to the bank.

"Hashi," she called after getting out of the water. The fox cub came out of hiding and trotted over to his master. Kiku grabbed her things out of the hollow section of one of the trees. After drying off, she threw on her robe. "That was close," she said. "Now, back to a human appearance." With that said, Kiku made a swishing motion with her hand. Instantly her ears lost their pointed tip and the swirl in her eyes disappeared. Kiku then looked to Hashi once the illusion was successful. "Do I look human now?"

Hashi cocked his head at the girl and then he signaled a "no" by putting a paw over his nose.

"What?" Kiku glanced at her reflection in the water. "I never said I was trying for a normal human appearance." She picked up her things. "Come on." Together the water demon and arctic fox walked back to the castle.

Once Kiku was far enough away, Draco stepped out from behind a thick oak tree. He stared off after the retreating girl, an expression of shock and disbelief etched on his pale face. Although he didn't actually see the demons in Hagrid's class, Draco had heard enough and read enough about them to confidently identify one.

"Sukue's a…demon?"

* * *

"Are you guys ready for the Apparition test?" Kaze asked at breakfast. It was April 21, the day that those students who qualified were scheduled to take the Apparition test.

"I believe so," replied Hermione. She glanced across the table to Ron, who looked like he was going to be sick. "Ron, please eat something. You're never going to be able to Apparate on an empty stomach."

"She's right, Ron," said Harry. "Try to eat something."

Ron feebly shook his head. "Anything that goes down will come right back up again."

"Okay then," Kaze interjected. "Keep it to yourself."

Just then Reina entered the Great Hall. She walked over to her friends and sat down next to Harry. The half-demon was obviously down about something. "Here," she said handing Harry an envelope. "Hedwig had it."

Harry took the envelope and looked at the front. His name was scribbled in rough handwriting that the young wizard recognized as Hagrid's. After breaking the seal Harry pulled out the letter. He read through the writing, a frown developing as he did. When he was done, Harry looked back to Reina.

"I got one, too," she said. A small sigh followed her words.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Aragog died last night," Harry said folding the parchment back up.

"Hagrid wants us to come tonight when he buries Aragog," Reina added. She was no longer hungry and didn't bother grabbing a plate. Instead she just knocked lightly on the table. A mug suddenly appeared in front of her. Reina sipped from her tea while the others continued speaking.

"Aragog?" Ron racked his brain for a minute. "Isn't that the gigantic spider that tried to feed us to its friends in our second year?" Harry nodded. "Hagrid's actually going to give it a funeral?"

"Harry," Hermione said trying to draw the conversation in a different direction. "I strongly doubt Ron and I can come. We'll have make-up work from the classes we're going to miss."

"And I have Arithmancy homework to catch up on," Kaze told Reina.

"I understand," Reina assured.

That day went by extremely slow. By the time last block Potions class came around, the five students making up the class were all ready to fall asleep where they sat. not reflecting the attitudes of his students, Professor Slughorn boisterously greeted them.

"Good afternoon!"

The reply consisted of two murmurs coming from Harry and Ernie. Draco was not courteous enough to say anything, and the two demon in the back had their head down buried in their arms. Slughorn clapped his stubby hands together loudly. "C'mon, little ones," he said. "Today's lesson will be very exciting."

"Azkrinma,"

"Chikusho,"

Harry recognized the foreign words the girls muttered as they lifted their heads. They were ones used frequently but the two demons. Both words had the same meaning, which happened to be "damn it", but one was demon tongue and the other was Japanese. Harry never knew there was a different language for demons until one incident a few months back. He had been walking with the three demons through the castle after lunch one day. Kiku and Kaze were attempting to poke Reina in the forehead over and over. When Kaze finally got a successful poke in, Reina dropped her bag and began chasing the wind demon around the bottom floor of the castle. The whole time Reina was yelling in a strange language. Through giggles, Kiku explained it was the language of demon. The water demon admitted that she couldn't speak it herself, but she'd heard it before.

Much to the girls' dismay, Slughorn made them move closer to the front of the room so he wouldn't have to walk so far. He saw no sense in having five students spread out all across the room. Reina had to kick Kiku in the shin in order to keep the water demon from cussing out Slughorn for making them move.

"Now," Slughorn stood at the front as he spoke. "Today you are going to mix up an Elixir to Induce Euphoria." He went on to describe the potion in mild detail. When he was done, he gave the students the signal to start.

"This is so stupid," Reina muttered as she uncorked a bottle of roots. "Five students, none of which are all together today, and we still have to do work." Kiku nodded in agreement, but seemed a bit distracted. She kept glancing over to Draco and quickly looked back to her cauldron when the other Slytherin's eyes moved up. The half-demon caught on to this pretty quickly. "Kiku, what's going on?"

Kiku poured a measured amount of pixie blood into her mixture. 'nothing," she said. With a quick glance to Slughorn, she saw that the man was focused on grading potions and papers. The water demon took this opportunity to stir the liquid in her cauldron using her powers.

"You're going to get caught one of these days," said Reina.

"You're one to talk," Kiku said with a sly grin. "Did you or did you not use your powers in DADA yesterday to redirect Snape's spell?"

This accusation brought a small smile to the half-demon's lips. "Snape shouldn't have shot that spell at me without warning and when I had a headache. Besides, I was able to cover it up."

"Thanks to Hermione," Kiku pointed out. "She was able to think of a spell that results in black and purple smoke before Snape could question it."

"Yeah, yeah," Reina mumbled. She dropped the mandrake leaves that she'd just grounded to powder into her cauldron. The potion was supposed to be a sunshine yellow. Reina was happy to see that her own concoction was well on its way there being a mustard color already. "But I am surprised that I didn't end up with detention. I was almost positive Snape would have me scrubbing floors for that mess."

Kiku paused in her mixing causing the potion to become still. She glanced to Draco and swallowed hard. What if Draco did see her? From the way Draco had been watching her earlier it was a possibility. It also meant that the boy could have mentioned it to Snape. And if Draco saw Kiku in demon form, then he could have connected her with the demons from Hagrid's class. If all of this was true then it was only a matter of time before Draco linked Kiku's secret to Reina and Kaze.

"Kiku," Reina nudged the water demon in the arm. "What is wrong with you today?" She knew Kiku was acting stranger than usual and the half-demon had a bad feeling that Malfoy was a part of it.

The water demon frowned. "Um, Reina," Kiku placed the vial she had in her hand back on the table. "While I was swimming the other day, someone came out by the lake."

Reina also stopped what she was doing and looked to Kiku. She was not liking where this was going. "Did this person see you?" she asked trying to remain calm.

"I don't know," Kiku admitted. "I sensed him and hid, but I don't know if he saw me without the illusion."

"Was it Draco?"

"Yes."


	21. Chapter 21

Hey, everyone! I'm sorry for such a long wait for this chapter, but it is a rather long one. So maybe that will help me redeem myself a little. Anyway, please review. Enjoy!

Chapter 21

"Draco saw her?"

Reina nodded with a frustrated sigh. She and Kaze were in their dorm discussing the present problem of keeping their identities a secret. "Kiku doesn't know for sure if he saw her or not," she said. Both girls were sitting on their beds in their true form, the door being locked and charmed.

"If he did then it won't be long until we're figured out as well," said Kaze. Fireball was curled up in the wind demon's lap sound asleep. Occasionally, one of his ears would twitch at the sound of the girls' voices.

"Maybe, but there are too many if's we're thinking about," said Reina, crossing her arms. She leaned back against her pillow. "There is still the possibility that Draco didn't see her. Besides, the only things Kiku hides is her ears and the swirl to her eyes. And of course her aura is downsized to match that of a normal witch."

"But the if's are what we need to worry about," Kaze said scratching Fireball's back. The young cat purred from pleasure. "You said it yourself that we're in danger if someone in the school founds out. What makes it worse is that someone is Malfoy! He could easily tell his father who is a Death Eater meaning he's in league with Voldemort."

Kaze did have a point and Reina couldn't deny it. Both girls never imagined they would have to deal with the dark wizard Voldemort. In their village, Voldemort wasn't a big threat. Demons thought their world was separate from the magical world, but some demons changed their beliefs when the Ministry finally acknowledged Voldemort's return. Now that muggles were being drawn into the war, more and more demons were worrying about Voldemort and his followers pouring over into their territory.

"I wonder how much longer until Voldemort's influence reaches home," said Reina. Her lavender eyes were focused on the hole in her pajama pants. She wasn't aware of how it got there, but that pair of pants were old.

"Isn't that what your dad is investigating now?" the wind demon asked. She, too, was concerned about the welfare of their kind. Voldemort's power had become so strong to the point that no one, wizard or muggle or creature alike, was safe.

All Reina could so was nod. Words were lost to her as she thought of Darikk and his safety. Many demons would not be happy with a rogue shadow demon sticking his nose in their business. There were countless things that could happen, especially if Darikk did come across one of those demons working for Voldemort. The half-demon's throat was burning and her eyes refused to blink. Worry was taking over her mind. Where was her father?

"We should get to sleep. There's class tomorrow," said Kaze. She turned off the light and scooted farther under the covers. Fireball stretched before kneading another place between the wind demon's legs. He curled up and joined his owner in sleep. Reina, on the other hand, wasn't able to close her eyes without seeing Darikk in some horrible predicament.

* * *

"He's really going to take you with?"

Harry nodded in response to his cousin's question. "Dumbledore promised he would when he found out where another Horcrux is located," he stated.

Reina frowned at this. It was not what she wanted to hear. "But that's dangerous, Harry. Are you sure you're up to it?" She knew her cousin was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, and she probably sounded like a worried mother. Despite that, Reina couldn't keep worry out of her mind. It had been plaguing the half-demon all night for multiple reasons including Darikk's safety, her hometown, Hagrid's current state of mind, her friends, and Harry. Needless to say, Reina didn't sleep well the previous night.

Before Harry could respond, something white caught his eye. "Ron, you're making it snow," Hermione said grabbing Ron's wrist.

"Hey," Kiku recoiled her tongue into her mouth. "I was catching those."

"Sorry," Ron muttered. He brushed the snow off Hermione's shoulder, the whole time having Lavender's eyes on them from across the room. "I guess we all have terrible dandruff." After shaking his own head clean of snow, Ron looked over to Kiku. "Why are you sitting here today? You're usually over there with Malfoy." His lip curled up in a snarl as he gestured to a pale Draco.

Kiku frowned instantly, and it wasn't because Professor Flitwick was approaching them. Luckily, Ron and the others forgot about hearing an answer after Ron made his goblet explode. After class, the group had learned more than just how to turn vinegar into wine. It made all of them happy to hear that Ron and Lavender had broken up. Harry was even happier to find out that Ginny and Dean were no longer together. Reina also seemed rather pleased with this news.

"Now's your chance, Harry," said Reina as she passed the wizard in the hallway. She would have loved to stay and talk, but she had business to take care of with Kaze and Kiku. "Say hi to Katie for me!" she added before racing away down the corridor.

"Katie?" Harry echoed. He looked to Ron and Hermione in confusion.

"I don't know what she's talking about, mate," Ron said.

Harry shrugged it off, but only for a few seconds. When the portrait hole opened, there was a small group of people gathered around Katie Bell. Ron became slightly more confused, but Harry and Hermione connected Reina's knowledge of Katie's return with the telepathic wind demon.

"What are we going to do about Malfoy?" Kaze asked breaking the silence. Actually it wasn't completely silent. The sounds of Kiku pounding on one of the heavy punching bags echoed through the large training area that the Room of Requirement supplied the girls with. Neither of the other two demons replied. It wasn't exactly easy to answer that question.

Another minute passed by before Kiku suddenly stopped punching the bag, leaving it to swing slightly in front of her. "I'm such and idiot!" she yelled. Her fist slammed into the bag for one final punch, but this time a blast of boiling water erupted from Kiku's hand. The heavy, cylindrical bag broke from its chain and flew across the room before slamming into the back wall. Kiku jumped back in shock. "What just happened?" She turned back to Reina and Kaze, her eyes moving from her hands to her friends.

"Whatever it was, it was awesome," Kaze said running over to the punching back, which had a hole through the center of it.

Reina glanced to the cracked stone of the wall where the bag made contact. Looking back to Kiku, the half-demon smirked. "You're anger got the better of you, and in turn boosted the strength of your powers."

The water demon was still stunned at first, but then a big grin slowly spread across her face. "I did it!" she exclaimed ecstatically. Kiku began jumping around in circles. "I actually conjured water from the air. I've never been able to do that before. And I wasn't even trying."

"Our powers are tied to our emotions," said Reina. She watched as Kaze rushed back over to them. "And you're not an idiot," she added while walking back to the bench. Kiku and Kaze followed now that they were over the initial ecstasy of the occurrence.

"Reina's right, Kiku," the wind demon said sitting down on one of the benches. Fireball rubbed up against Kaze's exposed thigh, a sign that he wanted attention. Picking the cat up, Kaze placed him on her lap where Fireball curled up to sleep. "It could have happened to any of us."

Despite her attempts at condolence, Kaze's words didn't lighten Kiku's returning guilt. The water demon plopped down on the opposite end of the bench. "But I still screwed up. I should've been paying more attention to my surroundings. Maybe then I could have sensed Draco before he came too close."

"We still don't know for sure if Draco saw you," Reina reminded them. "Until our suspicions are confirmed, we shouldn't be worrying so much. Besides, who is he going to tell that will actually believe him?"

"Snape," Kaze said with disgust.

Kiku nodded and added, "Draco is close to Snape. Even with their argument before Christmas, Draco would still confide in Snape with something this important."

"Snape already knows."

Both Kaze and Kiku stared at the half-demon in shock and then confusion. "Snape knows we're demons?" they asked in unison. Glances were spared to each other, but they focused back on Reina intensely. "How does he know?" Kaze questioned alone. "And how do you know that he knows?"

Reina sighed as she leaned against the cold stone, which felt good on her warm skin. "The answer to both of those questions is Dumbledore," she said calmly. "He needed Snape's help concerning some things. Who do you think has been making the potion I've been forced to take?"

Kaze frowned in confusion. "I figured Madam Pomfrey was mixing it up since she was the person you were getting the vials from."

"Madam Pomfrey is the one who tests the potion," the half-demon explained. "Snape is actually the mastermind behind my successful medicine. He really is a great potions master. His potion is the only one that's been able to keep the human facade from fading or draining me of energy."

"Why didn't you tell us this before, Rei?" Kaze was a bit irritated that her best friend had kept this a secret from her. "You know the suspicions that Harry has about Snape."

"Dumbledore trusts Snape," Reina said defensively. "I haven't killed over, nor have I suffered any side effects of the potion. And unless I do, I have no reason to distrust Snape."

An awkward silence fell over the room for the next minute. Each girl was lost in their own thoughts. The dangers they faced now could be minor nuisances or serious threats depending on what happens next. If the young demons' identities somehow made it back to Voldemort, there was no denying just how much trouble they'd be in. Reina, Kaze, and Kiku were all well aware of the possibilities.

"This puts a damper on enjoying the last Quidditch match of the season, doesn't it?" Kiku said with a forced smile. Reina and Kaze expressed weak laughs, but it was hard to cover up what they all felt.

Luckily enough, the girls were momentarily distracted by Reina's ring, which was glowing red. "Mayoke wants in," Reina explained. She stood up and walked over to the door. After listening for any sounds of shuffling feet and hearing none, the half-demon opened the door just enough for the raven to come in. Mayoke quickly flew in followed by Hashi, who trotted over to Kiku.

"Did you find anything out?" Kiku asked the fox when he sat down next to her on the bench. Hashi shook his head. "Oh, well. Thanks for trying." Pulling out a dog treat from her bag, Kiku gave it to Hashi.

Kaze crossed her legs on the bench, adjusting Fireball as she did so. "Are you still using Hashi as a spy?" she asked glancing to the fox devouring the treat.

"Yeah, but he hasn't been able to collect any information lately," replied Kiku.

"Hey, guys."

Kaze and Kiku looked to the half-demon, who had her back to them. Reina's eyes were focused on the black raven flying wildly around the room. "Something is wrong with Mayoke," she said worried. "Mayoke!" Reina had to call out the bird's name two more times before he finally returned to the half-demon's arm. "What's wrong?" Reina glanced up to her friends while stroking Mayoke in an attempt to calm him. The raven quit cawing, but he continued to flap his wings, and move up and down his master's arm.

"He looks spooked," said Kaze. Fireball had lifted his head from Kaze's lap to look at the bird. However, instead of trying to attack Mayoke like usual, Fireball just continued to stare as if he, too, knew something was wrong.

Kiku stood up and approached Reina. She looked over Mayoke, inspecting him for any injuries. "He doesn't seem to be hurt," she concluded. Just then, Mayoke began cawing again rather loudly. He jumped from Reina's arm, scratching her in the process, and flew to the door.

"Reina, are you okay?" asked Kaze when the half-demon hissed in pain.

"I'm fine," Reina replied. She inspected the scratch from which drops of blood were forming. Looking to the door, she saw Mayoke hovering there expectantly. "This isn't like him," she said walking over to the cubby holes containing supplies. After wiping away the blood, Reina found a clean bandage, which she brought back over to Kiku. "Could you tie this, please?"

Once Kiku had wrapped the bandage around Reina's upper arms and tied it off, the half-demon hurried to the door. Without saying anything, she opened the door and quickly followed Mayoke out. The door closed behind her, hiding the entrance again from plain sight. Mayoke flew down the seventh floor hallway and downstairs with Reina running on the stone below him. They continued down each floor until Mayoke finally stopped and perched on the statue outside Dumbledore's office. Reina came to a sudden halt in front of the statue. She wasn't able to rest for long before a gentle yet grave voice came from behind her.

"Reina, I just sent someone to find you," Dumbledore said when the half-demon turned to face him. His face was grim and his eyes looked upon Reina with obvious sadness. He was about to speak again, but paused when he noticed the crimson color seeping through the bandages. Reina wore a sleeveless shirt, so she couldn't hide it. "Are you injured?"

"Forget about that," Reina said a bit more forcefully than she intended to. She took a deep breath in order to calm herself. "Professor, what's going on? Something's wrong, I know it."

Dumbledore stared at the young woman for a few seconds before speaking again. "I'm sorry to say that something is indeed wrong. Please come up to my office." The spiral staircase opened up when the wizard spoke the password. Dumbledore ascended first without looking back at Reina until they reached the top of the stairs. After Dumbledore stepped inside and out of the doorway, the half-demon walked into the Headmaster's office. She didn't make it any farther than two steps and then froze. Standing in the center of the room was the very person Reina did not want to see. What made it worse was that the woman was alone.

"Oh, Reina!" Aleera flung herself at Reina, wrapping her arms around the younger demon in a painful hug. "I'm so sorry," she said with tears forming in her dark eyes. "I couldn't stop him."

Reina untangled herself from Aleera's unwanted embrace. Once she was free, she backed away until she made contact with the closed door, which Dumbledore had shut with his wand. The half-demon gave up on creating more space between them, and instead stared back at Aleera. "Where is my father?" Reina asked. The beautiful demon bit her lip as if holding back a sob. It was obvious to Reina that this was all an act, and she wasn't going to let it go on.

While she was still on the seventh floor, Reina cast the concealment spell before she past anyone. Despite her rush and worry, she still had sense enough to hide her demonic traits. That concern, however, was quickly fading along with the spell. Within seconds Reina's appearance was that of a half-demon. Her lavender eyes narrowed as she continued to stare at Aleera. "Where is he?" she demanded. The edge in her voice caught Aleera off guard, causing the older demon to lose grip on her grieving mask. Aleera quickly began the waterworks again for Dumbledore's sake.

"Darikk was drawn into a fight in Cromel," Aleera said. The corner of her mouth twitched, but she resisted the sudden urge to smile when she saw the fear cross over Reina's face. Aleera forced more tears and another choking sob before adding, "He was badly injured."

While growing up, Reina was taught a lot about the different demon tribes and villages thanks to Darikk. Of all the demon tribes in Europe, Cromel was the worst. Located in the Netherlands, Cromel was home to ruthless demon who despise humans entirely. These demons also hate their own kind who try to gain any type of information from them. Darikk was an obvious target since he was there solely to collect information.

"Ho badly was he hurt?" Reina asked. Her voice still held an edge, but her throat was beginning to hurt from the burning sensation caused by the first stage of tears.

"I-I'm not sure," Aleera replied, fake tears still streaming down her pale face. "Darikk c-couldn't move much without being in pain. I tried to stay and care for him after we escaped Cromel, but Darikk insisted that I come here to check on you. He did say he would come see you this month."

By this time Reina's throat was burning even more and her fingernails were digging into her palms. Darikk was hurt and alone. He wasn't far from Cromel meaning the hostile demons might go after him again. Reina realized she wasn't breathing and quickly took a few shallow breaths.

"Reina,"

Both demons looked to Dumbledore, who was standing behind his desk watching them through soft blue eyes. Reina stepped around Aleera to stand opposite the wizard. "Yes, sir?" she said, the strength in her voice finally breaking.

Dumbledore walked around his desk and stopped in front of Reina. He placed his uninjured hand on Reina's shoulder. "Go," he said.

"What?" Reina knew what Dumbledore meant, but she was surprised he said it. He promised Darikk that he would keep Reina safe. Why would Dumbledore let the half-demon go so easily?

"You want to go help your father, don't you?" The wizard didn't wait for a reply. "If I told you not to leave the castle, you would leave anyway. So what's the point in telling you to stay?"

Reina stared at the Headmaster for a moment longer. Suddenly she sprang forward wrapping her arms around the wizard. "Thank you, sir," she said hugging him. "Thank you for everything."

Dumbledore was surprised by the hug, but he didn't pull away. He returned the embrace with a smile. "You're very welcome, my dear," he said. "And don't worry about Harry and the others. I'll explain everything." As they parted, Dumbledore held Reina's shoulder again. "Be careful," he said staring into lavender eyes.

"I will," Reina assured him.

"We better go then, "Aleera said from behind Reina. She had stopped crying and was now putting her cloak on.

Turning to Aleera, the half-demon realized that she would need her cloak as well. She had none of the required potion with her to change her appearance, and she knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate enough to keep a spell up. Fortunately, Dumbledore was one step ahead of her.

"Here."

The wizard handed Reina a traveling cloak, but it was not like Reina's own cloak. This one was dark blue, matching the half-demon's hair, with a silver lining. The texture of the fabric proved that the cloak was definitely not cheap. Reina looked up to Dumbledore after examining the fine article of clothing. "I can't take this, sir," she said trying to give it back.

Dumbledore only smiled and pushed the cloak back into the girl's hands. "There is no time for you to return to your room. Take it." He leaned in to hug Reina again, and then he whispered very quietly, "It is woven with powerful magic that will protect you." Reina's expression changed to one of understanding when they pulled back.

"Thank you, Professor," she said with a small smile.

"Come on now," Aleera said butting in. She was becoming rather impatient, which was obvious to both of the other people in the room. However, Dumbledore labeled it as concern for Darikk. Reina, on the other hand, was sure Aleera had an alternative motive.

"Goodbye, Professor," Reina said before turning to leave. Aleera already had the door open and was walking down the stairs. With a heavy sigh, the half-demon reluctantly followed.

When the two shadow demons stepped off the stairs, the entrance sealed itself once again. Both women had thrown their cloaks on while still on the staircase. Now they pulled the hoods over their head before walking down the corridor. Neither Reina nor Aleera spoke until they reached the Entrance Hall. Even then it wasn't the demons who spoke when a voice reached their ears.

"Reina?"

Only the half-demon looked up upon recognizing her cousin's voice. Harry was hurrying down the marble staircase towards them, leaving Ron and Hermione halfway up. Reina hesitated but a second and then walked away from the door allowing Aleera to fume at the delay.

"Reina, where are you go-" Harry was cut off as Reina flung her arms around him. At first Harry was confused and unsure what to do. After a few awkward seconds, he hugged his cousin in return. Eventually Reina pulled away, but still remained close to the wizard. "What was that for?" Harry asked with a curt laugh. However, the laughs and smiled faded at the seriousness in the half-demon's eyes. "Reina, what's wrong?"

"Why aren't you human looking?" Ron inquired as he and Hermione came up behind them. "And who's that?" He gestured to the other cloaked figure waiting impatiently at the door.

The half-demon shook her head in order to stop further questions. "Dumbledore will explain it all," she said quickly. The desire to save her father and the wish to stay at Hogwarts were pulling Reina's heart in different directions. And yet the urgency of Darikk's situation easily overpowered its opponent. "But I have to leave for a little while. Could you please tell Kaze and Kiku to speak to Dumbledore?" It took a few seconds before Harry agreed, still uncomfortably confused. "Thanks. I've got to go now. Goodbye." With that said, Reina rushed back over to Aleera. Without a look back, the two demons disappeared outside the castle.

The walk from the castle entrance to the edge of Hogwarts' grounds was made of an uncomfortable and welcoming silence. Neither demon had any desire to speak to each other, nor did they trust the other to speak the truth. However, Reina and Aleera needed information from each other whether they liked it or not.

While Reina was deliberating on how to form any questions concerning her father, Aleera took a stab at irritating the half-demon more. "We could have already been well on our way if you hadn't wasted time on pathetic goodbyes," Aleera said with a roll of her eyes. "Who was that boy anyway? Your boyfriend perhaps. Darikk did say you had so called 'friends' who knew your little secret. It's a pity you'll lose all of your friends soon enough. Half-demons are destined to be outcast for their entire lives."

Aleera's rant about half-demons barely even registered in Reina's mind. She was more focused on Aleera's seemingly lack of knowledge about the relationship between her and Harry. This meant that Darikk hadn't told his new lover. However, Aleera could just be playing dumb, but Reina highly doubted that. Aleera was too proud of whatever scheme she was playing at to keep what she knew a secret.

"Are you even listening to me?" the woman demanded.

"No."

"You insolent brat,"

Reina stopped walking when they were about a quarter of a mile from Hogwarts. It took a few seconds longer for Aleera to stop, too. She turned to the half-demon, her arms crossed and eyes narrowed. "What are you doing?" she snapped.

"Aren't we going to use the Shadow Realm?" Reina said, her own voice full of disgust for the woman she was forced to be with.

Aleera's frown slowly morphed into an amused grin. "I'm afraid you won't be going to the Shadow Realm, but more along the lines of a realm of unconsciousness."

Four men in black robes and white masks suddenly appeared surrounding the half-demon. Reina instantly knew it was a set up, but it was already too late. Her hands glowed purple and a sphere-like mass of energy formed in her palm. The Death Eaters had their wands raised, but were wary of the half-demon, so they did not act right away. Reina took the chance and threw the purple orb at the nearest Death Eater. She conjured another after attacking with the first, and then aimed this one at another Death Eater. Reina's first attack was blocked by a Protego charm. He seconds his its mark catching the man's robes on fire.

"Idiots!" Aleera shrieked. "She's a damn half-breed!"

This only made the four Death Eaters dislike Aleera more. And yet, they threw away any restraint. Reina had put up a demonic shield that was backed up with a reinforcement spell. Luckily the next few spells thrown at her disintegrated once they hit the shield.

_Dammit! This is not good,_ Reina thought as more and more spells hit the shield. _There's no way out of this. I'm too far from the castle and I can't get to the Shadow Realm fast enough._

Outside of the shield, the Death Eaters shot spell after spell at Reina. Some were destroyed on impact and some bounced back making the Death Eaters move to dodge them. "This isn't working!" one of the men yelled over the noise. The magic stopped flying and the Death Eater backed away from the crackling bubble. "We'll have to attack all together," he concluded.

Inside the dark bubble, Reina was frantically trying to come up with a way out. She was having trouble thinking though since she could feel and hear every blow the shield took. It was taking all she had to keep the shield standing, but Reina could feel the power weakening with each hit. A few more rounds of spells would have broken it. So it surprised her when the attack stopped. While still concentrating on keeping the shield together, Reina peered through the tinted walls. It took a moment for her to realize what they were doing. A second after realization hit, the half demon braced herself against the final assault on her haven.

The onslaught of combined magic made contact with the protective shield successfully shattering it. Reina was thrown back from the force of power along with Aleera and two Death Eaters. A sharp pain ran through Reina's body as she collided with a sturdy oak tree. She fell to the ground unable to move. It took a long moment before feeling returned to her limbs and she could push herself up on hands and knees.

"Grab her!" one of the men commanded.

Two Death Eaters, the same two who had been knocked aside, rushed forward. They reached down to take hold of the half-demon, but were unable to touch her without consequence. Only when both men began swearing out of pain did Reina look up. The four hands that had grabbed her were now red and blistered as if they'd been burned.

"What the hell is this?"

"Demon trickery, I'd say!"

"Fools! It's the cloak."

Reina's head was beginning to spin due to the pain in her back. Her arms were shaking and could have given out at any second. Unfortunately, Reina fell to the ground by something else. The eldest Death Eater among them walked over and kicked her in the ribs. With a cry of pain, the half-demon collapsed to the ground. Mere seconds later her vision began to blur and darken. The last thing she saw was the four men and Aleera looking down at her with expressions of victory.


End file.
